Full members to play more international cricket matches in ICC’s new FTP cycle
Full members to play more international cricket matches in ICC’s new FTP cycle: The 12 Full Members will be playing a total of 777 international matches between 2023 and 2027, compared to 694 matches in the current FTP cycle.
Amidst the rapid and ongoing expansion of T20 leagues around the world, an increase in the amount of bilateral international cricket scheduled in the new ICC men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the next four years is observed. This schedule includes two Border-Gavaskar series.
The ICC released the 2023-27 FTP on Wednesday, in which the 12 Full Members will be playing a total of 777 international matches. These matches will include 173 Tests, 281 ODIs, and 323 T20Is – compared to the 694 games in the current cycle.
Bilateral international games in the new FTP
Bangladesh(150)
West Indies (147)
England (142)
India (141)
New Zealand (135)
Australia (132)
Sri Lanka (131)
Pakistan (130)
Afghanistan (123)
South Africa (113)
Ireland (110)
Zimbabwe (109)
T20Is – the most bilateral matches
West Indies(73)
India (61)
Afghanistan (57)
Bangladesh (57)
New Zealand (57)
Pakistan (56)
Sri Lanka (54)
England (51)
Australia (49)
Ireland (47)
South Africa (46)
Zimbabwe (45)
The most bilateral ODIs
Bangladesh(59)
Sri Lanka (52)
Ireland (51)
England (48)
West Indies (48)
Pakistan (47)
New Zealand (46)
Afghanistan (45)
Zimbabwe (44)
Australia (43)
India (42)
South Africa (39)
Test cricket
England(43)
Australia (40)
India (38)
Bangladesh (34)
New Zealand (32)
South Africa (28)
Pakistan (27)
West Indies (26)
Sri Lanka (25)
Afghanistan (21)
Zimbabwe (20)
Ireland (12)
The first five-Test Border-Gavaskar series will be taking place during the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India tour of Australia will be in the Australian summer of 2024-25. Australia then tours India during the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle for five Tests in January-February in the year 2027. India will be playing two five-Test series against England – at home in early 2024 and away in 2025. There will be no bilateral match series between India and Pakistan.
Tri-series between Full Members will make a comeback. Pakistan will be hosting New Zealand and South Africa in an ODI tri-series in February 2025. Zimbabwe will be hosting New Zealand and South Africa for T20Is in July 2025. Pakistan will be hosting England and Sri Lanka for an ODI tri-series in October-November 2026.
There is also an extended window for the IPL, during which very little international cricket will take place. England and Australia have also created windows in August and January, respectively, for their own international schedules. This will allow their marquee white-ball players to participate in the Hundred and the BBL. Bangladesh has secured a window for the BPL in January, during which it plays no international cricket in the FTP.
In 2025, the PSL is set to become the first T20 league to overlap with the IPL because of Pakistan’s packed international season. Starting November 2024, Pakistan is having away tours of Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and New Zealand, before the team returns home for a tri-series in February 2025. It will be followed by the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan which ends in March. The PSL will be starting only after the Champions Trophy ends. This leads to a clash with the IPL.
There is set to be an ICC men’s event every year of this cycle. The 2023 ODI World Cup will happen in India. The 2024 T20 World Cup will happen in the West Indies and USA. The 2025 Champions Trophy will take place in the country of Pakistan. The 2026 T20 World Cup will be taking place in India and Sri Lanka. The 2027 ODI World Cup will be taking place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.