The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled an extensive women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) spanning 2025 to 2029, anchored by the fourth edition of the ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) and featuring several tri-series to gear up for major ICC tournaments.
This second women’s FTP, running from May 2025 to April 2029, reflects collaboration amongst ICC Members and is designed to ensure transparency in scheduling across all three formats, encompassing approximately 400 confirmed matches.
This represents a significant increase from the previous cycle (2022-2025) and includes an annual ICC event, highlighted by the inaugural six-team Champions Trophy in 2027. The program also features the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025 (to be hosted by India), the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 (United Kingdom), and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028 (host to be determined).
The IWC, which has promoted more international play since its 2014 inception, will see an expansion to 11 teams, with Zimbabwe joining the 10 teams from the current edition that added Bangladesh and Ireland. The Championship format remains consistent, with each team playing eight opponents across four home and four away series.
A total of 132 ODIs will be contested across 44 three-match series, serving as a qualification pathway to the 2029 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and allowing for matches in other formats during these tours.
Here’s the ICC Women’s Championship schedule
| MEMBERS | HOME | AWAY |
|---|---|---|
| AUSTRALIA | ENG, NZ, BAN, IRE, IND, SA, WI, SL | BAN, SA, WI, ZIM, SL, ENG, IND |
| BANGLADESH | SA, WI, ZIM, SL, ENG, IND | AUS, PAK |
| ENGLAND | NZ, SA | BAN, IRE, IND, AUS, PAK, SL |
| INDIA | ENG, AUS, BAN, ZIM, NZ, SA, WI, IRE | IND, NZ, PAK, WI, ENG, AUS |
| IRELAND | ZIM, SL | IND, SA, ZIM, SL, ENG, AUS, PAK, IRE |
| NEW ZEALAND | ENG, AUS, PAK, IRE | IND, AUS, PAK, WI, ENG, NZ, BAN, ZIM |
| PAKISTAN | IND, AUS, PAK, WI, ENG, NZ, BAN, ZIM, WI | NZ, BAN, ZIM, SA, WI, SL, IRE |
| SOUTH AFRICA | NZ, SA, BAN, ZIM, SA, WI, SL, IRE | ENG, AUS, PAK, IRE |
| SRI LANKA | ENG, AUS, PAK | IND, AUS, PAK, WI, ENG, NZ, BAN, ZIM |
| WEST INDIES | IND, AUS, PAK | SL, SA, BAN, ZIM, IRE |
| ZIMBABWE | SA, WI, SL | IRE, IND, NZ, BAN, PAK |
In addition to bilateral series, Members have planned tri-series to build momentum before ICC tournaments. Ahead of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup, England will host a tri-series with India and New Zealand, while Ireland will host Pakistan and the West Indies. Other tri-series are slated for Sri Lanka in 2027 and the West Indies in 2028.
The upcoming FTP also features more Test matches, with Australia, England, India, South Africa, and the West Indies agreeing to multi-format series combining ODIs and T20Is. Australia will lead with the most multi-format series, including two each against England, India, and South Africa, and one against the West Indies.
Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager of Cricket, expressed enthusiasm for the new FTP: “We are delighted to announce the new Women’s FTP. The Women’s Championship ODIs will continue to provide context and a qualification pathway for the 2029 Women’s Cricket World Cup. This FTP also brings clarity for teams and fans.
The expansion to include Zimbabwe is particularly exciting, as is the commitment shown by Member Boards to playing across formats and organizing tri-series for ICC event preparation. We appreciate the collaboration that went into developing this balanced and meaningful calendar, which will undoubtedly elevate the women’s game.”
