Cricket Tours — How International Tours Work and What the Away Team Faces
What a cricket tour is, how itineraries are structured, the challenges of playing away from home, and the role of the Future Tours Programme in scheduling.
What Is a Cricket Tour?
A cricket tour is when a national team travels to another country to play a series of matches. Tours can include Tests, ODIs, T20Is, or a combination — and sometimes warm-up matches against local sides before the main fixtures begin. Tours typically last 2–6 weeks for limited-overs series and up to 2–3 months for full tours involving Test cricket.
The Home Advantage
Home advantage in cricket is arguably stronger than in any other team sport. Home sides benefit from familiar pitches, supportive crowds, home-cooked food and familiar routines, local knowledge of conditions, and pitches prepared by curators who know their own bowlers. Win rates at home vs away differ by 10–20 percentage points for most top Test-playing nations — with India winning over 80% of home Tests in recent years.
The Future Tours Programme
The ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP) schedules all bilateral international cricket for a multi-year cycle. It ensures that all major Test-playing nations host and tour each other regularly. The FTP balances commercial interests (high-profile series between popular teams get prime TV slots) with competitive obligations (smaller nations must also have scheduled tours).
Frequently asked questions
How long do touring parties travel for a full series?
A full Test tour — including warm-up games and 4–5 Tests — typically lasts 6–10 weeks. With ODI and T20I legs added, tours can run 3 months or longer. Modern schedules compress tours into shorter windows to manage player fatigue, meaning warm-up games are fewer and preparation time is reduced.
Do cricket players earn extra pay for touring?
Yes. International players receive daily allowances and tour fees on top of their standard central contracts. Players representing their countries on tours are compensated by their national boards; franchise T20 contracts (IPL, BBL) are separate arrangements negotiated with the franchise.
What is the difference between a home series and a neutral series?
A home series is played in the host country, with the host team having home advantage. A neutral series is played at a third country's grounds — used occasionally for security reasons or for major tournaments. The ICC Champions Trophy (2025) was held in Pakistan with some India games played in Dubai as a neutral venue.