The ICC is preparing a potentially significant shift in the international cricket calendar from 2027, with more T20Is and fewer bilateral ODIs under consideration as boards attempt to accommodate multiple formats, global tournaments and domestic franchise competitions, according to a report by Cricinfo.
The 2027–31 Future Tours Programme (FTP) is being developed at a cricket operations workshop in Dubai on September 22–23, involving representatives from Full Members and leading Associate nations. The discussions are expected to establish key elements of the schedule rather than produce the completed FTP, which is due to be presented at the ICC’s quarterly meeting in Bali in November.
A crowded calendar drives the format debate
At the centre of the planning process is a fundamental question over how international cricket divides limited calendar space.
T20Is are expected to occupy a larger share of the next cycle, supported by a T20 World Cup that takes place every two years and the format’s role in creating international opportunities beyond the Full Member nations. Namibia Cricket Chair and recently appointed ICC Board Director Rudi van Vuuren has identified T20 cricket as an area offering further opportunities for Associate countries.
The expansion would put pressure on bilateral ODIs rather than remove 50-over cricket from the international programme. The ODI World Cup remains a major global event, while member boards have discussed different ways of providing greater context to the format outside the World Cup.
Those discussions include staging more tri-series and quadrangular competitions, reviving a model that was more prominent during the 1990s. Reintroducing the ODI Super League is not part of that proposal.
Olympics creates a new pressure point
The next FTP must also accommodate an event that has not featured on cricket’s international calendar for more than a century.
Cricket will return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028, with the men’s T20 competition expected to take place during July. Its position in the middle of the English summer creates a direct scheduling complication, with the tournament expected to overlap England’s home Test series against West Indies.
The BCCI has separately sought appropriate rest and acclimatisation windows within the new FTP, including warm-up fixtures ahead of major series in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia.
Together, those requirements add further constraints to a four-year period in which boards will have to balance bilateral cricket with ICC events and other demands on the calendar.
Test cricket faces its own structural decision
While the overall FTP is being assembled, the composition of the World Test Championship (WTC) remains unresolved ahead of its 2027–29 cycle.
A previously discussed two-tier structure did not progress, but another option would broaden the championship beyond its current nine-team field. An ICC working committee presentation in April proposed adding Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland and allowing one-Test series to form part of the competition.
Zimbabwe are interested in participating, while it remains unclear whether Afghanistan and Ireland would join under an expanded model. A final decision on whether the championship will grow beyond nine teams has yet to be made.
The possibility of recognising one-Test series would provide another mechanism for incorporating countries that may not have room for longer Test assignments within their schedules.
Major bilateral fixtures already locked into the cycle
Even with significant parts of the international calendar still being negotiated, several of the most prominent series involving India, England and Australia are already mapped out.
England will stage Ashes series in 2027 and 2031, with Australia hosting the contest in 2029–30. England are also due to tour India for Tests in early 2028 before India visit England the following year.
Other Full Members are building their own schedules around major bilateral opportunities. South Africa are expected to welcome India immediately after the 2027 ODI World Cup, which South Africa will co-host with Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November.
Pakistan, unable to schedule bilateral cricket against India, have sought additional commitments against England and Australia. A five-match ODI series against England is scheduled for the English summer of 2027, while Pakistan are set to visit Australia for three Tests during 2027–28.
Technology also enters the agenda
The Dubai workshop extends beyond decisions about fixtures and competition structures, with the ICC’s accreditation system for Decision Review System (DRS) technology also under consideration.
Hawk-Eye and Virtual Eye currently hold approval to supply DRS technology in international cricket. The ICC is examining the framework as it considers expanding the number of accredited providers.
The immediate task in Dubai is to advance the major building blocks of the next international cycle rather than settle every fixture. With format allocation, Olympic scheduling, WTC participation and bilateral commitments all feeding into the process, the completed 2027–31 FTP is expected to move to the ICC’s November meeting in Bali.
