ICC plans 777 cricket matches for 2023-27; more time for IPL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Indian Premier League showed its growing influence as the International Cricket Council announced its men’s Future Tour Program (FTP) on Wednesday.
Twelve full ICC members will play a total of 777 matches in all formats during the 2023-27 FTP cycle.
The independently run IPL, which is the world’s biggest and richest Twenty20 league, gets an extended window in April and May every year in the new FTP cycle with little international cricket scheduled during this period.
Despite an increase of T20 leagues around the world, the ICC has 323 T20 internationals lined up in the next cycle, along with 173 test matches and 281 ODIs.
“The landscape around the game is continuing to evolve and we will work closely with members as we collectively adapt to that,” ICC general manager of cricket Wasim Khan said. “We are committed to growing the game and giving more fans more opportunities to enjoy cricket, but are very mindful of the need to balance that ambition with the welfare of players.”
Triangular ODI series also return in the next cycle with Pakistan hosting New Zealand and South Africa in February 2025 in the buildup to the ICC Champions Trophy and then hosting England and Sri Lanka for another ODI tri series in 2026.
Zimbabwe is scheduled to host New Zealand and South Africa in a T20 tri-series in 2025.
Pakistan’s premier domestic T20 league, the PSL, will clash with the IPL in 2025. That's due to Pakistan’s extremely busy international commitments that begin late 2024 with tours of Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and then New Zealand in January before it hosts tri series in February. Pakistan also hosts the Champions Trophy which is set to end in March 2025.
India will play four five-test series in the new cycle — two each against Australia and England, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
Afghanistan, which made its test debut against India in 2018, is also set to play a test match in India in 2026.
India will play home series against Bangladesh, England and New Zealand in the 2023-25 WTC while playing Australia, South Africa and the West Indies in the away series. In the 2025-27 WTC, India will play Australia, South Africa and the West Indies at home while its away series are against England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will play 27 WTC matches in the next FTP cycle which is loaded with white-ball cricket as it will play 47 ODIs and 56 T20s. It will also host 10 test-playing nations during this period.
“While finalizing our Future Tours Programme 2023-2027 in a tight and densely packed cricket calendar, we have given priority to context, quality and player workload,” PCB chief executive Faisal Hasnain said in a statement.
Pakistan will play home test matches against Bangladesh, England and West Indies during the 2023-25 World Test Championship while competing against Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka in the away series.
For the 2025-27 WTC it will host New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka at home, and play Bangladesh, England and West Indies in the away series.
___
More AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
