The WPL, Hundred and WBBL have been allotted new windows in the women’s FTP for 2025-29.
BCCI moving WPL has forced Cricket Australia to move women’s marquee summer fixtures from mid-January to February-March to avoid a clash with the most lucrative women’s franchise league.
The 2024-25 Ashes which begins on January 12 will be the last international matches Australia will host until January 2029.
Australia’s marquee home series in their new window is a tour of India for one test, three ODIs and three T20Is after the WPL in January-February 2026.
The ICC Women’s ODI Championship has been extended to 11 teams in the New FTP with the addition of Zimbabwe. This follows the addition of Bangladesh and Ireland to the ongoing cycle which will culminate with the 2025 ODI World Cup in India.
With the expansion of the women’s championship, all countries will play four teams at home and four away over a three-year cycle. In their maiden appearance in the upcoming cycle, Zimbabwe will be hosting South Africa, West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka and will be touring India, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
However, India and Pakistan will only play each other in world tournaments in the new FTP and not in a bilateral series.
The ICC has introduced a T20 champions trophy to be held in Sri Lanka in 2027, which brings in a plan of playing at least one women’s global tournament each year.
The tournament will feature six teams playing in 16 matches. The addition of this tournament to the women’s category means that three global events – the LA Olympics, the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy will be played in 12 months.
Hence, there will be a total of five ICC events, two T20 World Cups, two ODI World Cups and a T20 Champions Trophy in 2027.
The ODI World Cup will have 10 teams playing 48 matches from 2029 while the T20 World Cup will be expanded to 12 teams playing 33 matches from 2026.
West Indies women will be playing test cricket after more than 20 years in the new Future tour programme. They will be hosting one test as part of a multi-format series in March 2026, play England at home in 2027 and will play a test match against South Africa in 2028.
West Indies last played a test against Pakistan in 2003-24, against Pakistan and have only played 12 tests. Meanwhile, they will also play against Australia and South Africa in away tests in 2026, while hosting Australia and England later in the cycle.
