The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 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.

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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. 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,” an ICC statement said.

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.

“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,” Khan said.

“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,” he added.

(Inputs from IANS)