The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday announced the first ever Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) that confirms the international cricket calendar for 10 teams over the next three years and incorporates all three formats of the game.
A result of a joint effort from Members, the FTP ensures more matches for teams with the enhancement of the ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) to a 10-team event. With teams featuring in more matches across formats in bilateral series, over 300 matches will be played as part of the 2022-25 FTP, a substantial increase from the previous IWC cycle.
India are set to play two Tests, both at home, in the FTP cycle, ESPNcricinfo reports. The first, against England, will be in December 2023, and the second, against Australia, will be part of the tour from December 2023 to January 2024.
Apart from the two Tests, and matches at world and Asian events, India will play 27 ODIs and 36 T20Is in this period
England (five) will play the most Tests, in this FTP, followed by Australia (four), and South Africa (three). As such, these are the only four women's teams playing Test cricket in this period.
There's also the resumption of the T20 Asia Cup after a gap in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As previously announced, Bangladesh and Ireland are two additional teams in the IWC 2022-25.
Australia, England, India and South Africa are the teams to schedule multi-format series during this period. Among the fixtures are two multi-format Ashes series during the period consisting of one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is each - one in England in June 2023 and the other in Australia in January 2025.
Members have also scheduled bilateral ODIs outside the IWC in an effort to boost playing opportunities in the women’s game, while some teams have planned five-match T20I series too.
ICC general manager of Cricket, Wasim Khan, said the confirmation of the first ever women’s FTP was a watershed moment for women’s cricket.
Khan said: “This is a huge moment for the women’s game. 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.
“The ICC Women’s Championship, which underpins the FTP, is instrumental in propelling the game to the next level and the competitive matches that we saw in this year’s World Cup in New Zealand were a result of the greater number of matches that women have got to play because of the IWC.
“I thank the Member Boards in helping draft this historic FTP, which I am sure will go a long way in taking the women’s game to the next level.”
Graphics and schedules available in ICC's Online Media Zone.
The complete IWC matchups are available here...
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