The Future Tours Program (FTP) is ICC’s schedule for the next period of cricket internationally. They have revealed and confirmed the FTP for future games and tours that has seen a major development in the game globally. While many more teams have been added to the circle, ICC has also made it a point to schedule more matches, especially Test games for women.
The regulations have been developed until the end of April 2025 and it includes various tournaments and bilateral matches between countries all across the globe. With the inclusion of 7 Test games in all, a standalone Ashes is also a part of this contract. In total 300 matches are scheduled to be held, with 135 ODIs and 159 T20Is. With the increase in the number of ODI games, ICC has made an effort to popularize women’s cricket and to help them gain a firm fan base.
“This is a huge moment for the women’s game,” General Manager of Cricket, Mr. Wasim Khan said. “This FTP not only lends certainty to future cricket tours but also sets the base for a structure that is sure to grow in the coming years.”
This is for the first time ever that an FTP has been sketched out for Women. They will also have to play three bilateral series before making it to ICC World Cup 2025. Teams will play three-match bilateral ODI series as part of the 2022-25 ICC Women’s Championships, before the next 50-over World Cup in India in 2025. Meanwhile, many of those three-match ODI series will be played with the T20I series, with some teams opting to play the five-match T20I series alongside the ICC Women’s Championships fixtures as well.
All bilateral T20I games will help in their respective team rankings, which in turn serves as a primary reason for selecting the teams that qualify for ICC global events as well. Moreover, one of the highlights of the calendar is England’s next trip to Australia for the multi-format Ashes series. However, it will be a standalone series at the start of 2025.
Full list of upcoming major ICC events:
February 2023 – Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa
September / October 2024 – Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh
September / October 2025 – Women’s Cricket World Cup in India
June 2026 – Women’s T20 World Cup in England
February 2027 – Women’s T20 Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka
