Bizarre! Traffic jam chaos forces West Indies to miss toss in 3rd ODI vs England

The third and final ODI between the West Indies and England has been delayed at The Oval due to unusual reasons. England have already won the first two ODIs, and now they are aiming to clean sweep the West Indies in the final ODI at The Oval on Tuesday, June 3.

Hilariously, the start of the third ODI has been delayed due to the West Indies team getting caught in heavy traffic en route to the stadium. Match officials are awaiting the team's arrival before proceeding with the toss.

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West Indies stuck in traffic, toss delayed for 3rd ODI against England

Surrey Cricket posted, X: “Due to a delayed arrival of one of the playing teams, who are stuck in heavy traffic north of the river, the scheduled start of play will be delayed. Once all members of the playing teams arrive, the match officials will coordinate updated timings and discuss any impact on the schedule of play.”

Due to a delayed arrival of one of the playing teams, who are stuck in heavy traffic north of the river, the scheduled start of play will be delayed.

Once all members of the playing teams arrive, the match officials will coordinate updated timings and discuss any impact on the… pic.twitter.com/nM1RGVuUU4

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) June 3, 2025

Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also issued a statement and confirmed the development. The ECB also confirmed that match officials will decide on new timings once all players have arrived. They added, “We will update spectators with the schedule of play as soon as we are able to.”

The West Indies players have finally arrived at The Oval after being stuck in heavy traffic. However, they are still in the dressing room and yet to begin their warm-ups. On the other hand, England players were seen playing football as they were waiting for the toss.

West Indies chase ICC World Cup 2027 spot after traffic delay

Notably, South Africa and Zimbabwe will qualify automatically for the ICC World Cup 2027 as hosts, along with the top eight teams in the ICC rankings. Presently, England sits at eighth place, while the West Indies are just behind at ninth.

This makes the ongoing ODI series crucial for the West Indies, not just for pride, but for a direct spot in the ICC World Cup 2027. However, rain could play spoilsport, with some interruptions expected during the third ODI at The Oval.

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West Indies make three changes in the playing XI

Meanwhile, England captain Harry Brook won the toss and decided to bowl first, inviting West Indies to show some crackers first at The Oval. Brook said at the toss, “We are going to have a bowl. We were on the bus for a while. We are now ready to go. We'll try to be as dominant as possible. I like the balance that we've got; we've got a good bowling unit as well.”

On the other hand, West Indies captain Shai Hope said, “Probably should have walked. We executed a lot better in 2nd ODI. Executing the plans and ensuring we have a better game. Evin is back, Sherfance is also back, and Shamar Joseph also comes in. Hope they make an impact.”

Playing XIs for 3rd England vs West Indies ODI:

England Playing XI: Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Matthew Potts, Saqib Mahmood

West Indies Playing XI: Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (C&WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales.