ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) Explained: How International Cricket Schedules Are Made, Bilateral Series, and the Tour Calendar

The ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) is international cricket's master tour schedule — a multi-year calendar that determines which nations tour which other nations, in what formats (Tests, ODIs, T20Is), and for how many matches. The FTP is produced by the ICC in consultation with all Full Member boards and governs the scheduling of bilateral (two-team) international series outside of ICC multi-team events (World Cups, Champions Trophy, etc.). The current FTP cycle typically covers 4 years.

How the FTP Works

FTP mechanics and negotiation: (1) Full Member requirement: ICC regulations require each Full Member board to play each other Full Member at home and away at least once per FTP cycle. This minimum requirement ensures all Test nations tour each other, preventing commercially driven scheduling from excluding smaller nations entirely; (2) Commercial negotiation: beyond the minimum requirement, bilateral series involving India (BCCI) vs England (ECB), India vs Australia, and England vs Australia command premium broadcast rights and sponsorship values. These series are heavily weighted in the FTP — India tours England for 5-Test series every 4 years; the Ashes is 5 Tests every 2 years; (3) Home board financial model: the host board keeps the majority of revenue from home series (ticket sales, domestic broadcast rights, stadium sponsorship). A high-profile touring team (India) generates far more revenue than a lower-profile team. India's tours generate so much revenue for host boards that BCCI negotiating leverage is the highest of any board; (4) Player workload and the FTP criticism: the FTP has increasingly been criticised for creating player burnout — elite players (especially Indian players) can play 100+ international matches per year across formats. The addition of franchise T20 leagues (IPL, The Hundred, BBL) on top of the FTP calendar creates unsustainable workloads. Anderson, Broad, and several Australian players publicly criticised the FTP's intensity before their retirements.

Tests vs ODIs vs T20Is in the FTP

Format allocation in FTP scheduling: (1) Test series: Test series in the FTP are typically 2-5 matches. Major bilateral series (Ashes, India vs England, India vs Australia, India vs Pakistan — when hosted at a neutral venue) are 4-5 matches. Smaller nation bilateral series (e.g., Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, West Indies vs Afghanistan) may be 2 Tests; (2) ODI series: ODI series in bilateral context are typically 3-5 matches, often run immediately before or after a Test series as part of the same tour; (3) T20I series: T20I series are typically 3-5 matches. Since 2016, T20I series have expanded significantly in the FTP — they are shorter, commercially attractive, and generate strong broadcast interest. Many tours now include Test + ODI + T20I as a complete tour package; (4) ICC events within the FTP: ICC events (World Cups, Champions Trophy, WTC Finals) are factored into the FTP cycle. The World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2019-2021, 2021-2023, 2023-2025) assigns points to Tests within the FTP — every Test in the FTP cycle counts toward WTC standings; (5) The FTP and series context: a bilateral series not part of the WTC cycle (e.g., a T20I series) is not part of WTC standings. The WTC applies only to scheduled Tests in the current cycle.

The FTP and Player Availability

Player availability conflicts in the FTP: (1) Central contracts vs franchise leagues: most boards have central contracts for their elite players — centrally contracted players are required to be available for national selection. However, franchise leagues (IPL, BBL, The Hundred) are scheduled in windows either within or overlapping FTP series. England's 2022 decision to allow centrally contracted players to appear in overseas franchise leagues (IPL, BBL) created new player availability conflicts not previously managed by the FTP; (2) FTP and county/state cricket: county cricket (England) and Sheffield Shield (Australia) first-class seasons are scheduled to avoid clashing with FTP tours, but as tours lengthen and more formats are added, domestic first-class seasons compress. This has reduced the volume of first-class cricket available for player development; (3) Medical and rest windows: modern FTP management includes mandatory rest windows for international players. ECB, Cricket Australia, and BCCI all include rest policies — players above a certain match-count threshold can request rest. The FTP is supposed to accommodate these rest periods, but commercial pressures often mean 'rest' players are still required for some series.