The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the first ever Women's Future Tours Programme (FTP) that confirms the bilateral international tours 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," stated an official release.
There are a total of seven Tests scheduled in the 2022-25 period. India will be hosting both England and Australia for one Test each in December 2023. A total of 301 matches are scheduled for women cricketers, including seven Tests, 135 ODIs and 159 T20Is.
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. The three ODIs in the first series will be part of the ICC Women's Championship, which provides direct qualification to the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 in India.
The other commitments for Australia, reigning World champions of both the 50-over and 20-over formats as well as winners of both previous editions of the IWC, include an away series of a Test, three ODIs and three T20Is in India in December 2023 apart from the IWC home series against them. They also play a three-match home series, which is not part of an IWC tour, against New Zealand in March 2025.
"England, India and South Africa are the other teams to schedule Tests during this period while some teams have planned five match T20I series," stated the release further.
England play New Zealand in both a home and away series of three ODIs and five T20Is during this period while India have three T20Is each scheduled along with their IWC series against Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies.
The West Indies play five T20Is at home versus Ireland, three T20Is in Australia, five in Pakistan, three in Sri Lanka, and three each at home against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh play additional three T20Is each against South Africa and the West Indies (Jan '25) while Ireland play five T20Is against the West Indies in Jun 2023, three home T20Is against England in Sept '24, three away T20Is against India, in Jan '25 and five T20Is away against Bangladesh in Dec '24.
Sri Lanka play three T20Is each against Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies.
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.
ICC GM of Cricket Wasim 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."