The ICC has released the men’s Future Tour Programme (FTP) 2018-2023 and it looks interesting…
ICC released the men’s Future Tour Programme (FTP) 2018-2023, on behalf of its members, on 20th June. The FTP aims to bring more context to all bilateral cricket and incorporates all three formats of the game. The detailed schedule is available on the ICC website.
The FTP has introduced a World Test Championship and a Men’s ODI League. The inaugural edition of the World Test Championship will run from 15 July 2019 to 30 April 2021. The nine top ranked sides will play six series between 2019 and 2021 on a home and away basis. The top two sides will then qualify for the final. The final is scheduled to be held in June 2021 and will determine the World Test Champions.
The first winner of the World Test Championship will not be able to say that they have overcome every single challenge Test cricket throws at them https://t.co/jhx1WbhKnF pic.twitter.com/CPse6d6RPE
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 21, 2018
The ODI League will comprise of 13 teams; 12 test playing nations and the Netherlands. It will run from 1 May 2020 to 31 March 2022 in which all the sides will play eight series over the two years. This league will be a qualification pathway for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.
The other fixtures
The programme also contains other bilateral series that will not count towards the World Test Championship or the ODI League. The Champions Trophy has also been officially replaced by World T20 in 2021. This means there will be back-to-back World T20 events in 2020 and 2021.
India has gotten the largest share of matches in the May 2018 – May 2023 cycle across all three formats. England, Australia, and West Indies follow closely behind. India will host around 102 internationals at home and these matches will be played against almost all test playing nations except Ireland and Pakistan. India will also be the only side outside the Ashes rivalry to play five test series according to the FTP.
Between May 2018 and May 2023, Afghanistan will be playing around 109 matches across all three formats – the least among the test playing nations. Only Netherlands, which is not a Test-playing nation, has fewer matches.
Where does Pakistan stand?
The Pakistan team’s race for the World Test Championship will begin in October 2019 against Sri Lanka. The team will play a two-test series against Sri Lanka at home. Pakistan will play a total of 40 tests according to the FTP, including the three they played against Ireland and England recently.
Pakistan’s concerns seem to have been addressed to some extent with their share of matches increased from the number proposed earlier. Pakistan had been allotted just 28 Tests, 38 ODIs, and 38 T20Is in the tentative FTP proposed earlier. This had upset Pakistan, and the nation will now play 40 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 63 T20Is in the five-year period.
As expected, Pakistan will not play a single bilateral series against India since the BCCI believes that the Government of India does not encourage any in-bound or out-bound tours with the Pakistan Cricket Team. This means cricket fans will be deprived of enjoying any action between one of the greatest rivalries in the sporting world.
Pakistan also does not have very good geopolitical relations with Afghanistan, another neighbour. However, despite a complicated relationship with Afghanistan, Pakistan will play three ODIs against these neighbours at Afghanistan’s home ground as part of the ODI league.