India is reportedly exploring an ODI series in South Africa before the 2027 World Cup, a move initiated by the team management to gain crucial exposure to conditions and fine-tune preparations for the tournament.
Eran Wickramaratne, chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket's interim committee, has called for a revision of the ICC's Future Tours Programme to allow Sri Lanka to play more Test matches against cricketing powerhouses like India, England, and Australia, citing the financial dependence on India and the desire to excel in the format.
The ICC board has formed a committee to assess the impact of the growing franchise cricket leagues on the international cricket calendar, aiming to strike a balance and prevent disruption.
The Pakistan Cricket Board and Bangladesh Cricket Board have agreed to support each other at Asian and international cricket forums while seeking greater balance in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 2028-31 cycle.
The 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup is provisionally scheduled to be held from October 4 to November 21 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has cancelled its Board and committee meetings due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday.
'When we go into the next cycle of bilaterals, we will try to see whether we can get a bigger window, so we can go from 74 to 94 games.'
Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott praises his team's improved mental resilience after their T20 World Cup win against UAE, highlighting the impact of senior players and the need for more exposure against stronger nations.
The Indian women's cricket team's white-ball home series against Bangladesh next month has been postponed by the BCCI, which is aiming to work out an alternate assignment for the world champion side in the same window.
Perhaps, another Ranji title with Mumbai will be a fitting send off for Ajinkya Rahane.
'Confirming the SA20 window for a three-year period allows the league to bring certainty to all stakeholders and assists in securing our place when planning the global calendar.'
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) next year is set to clash with the high-profile Indian Super League as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling to hold the event in the same window as the IPL.
Chairman Arun Dhumal said they are considering expanding IPL to a full home-and-away format with 94 matches from 2028 onwards.
During the ICC board meeting, the global body also approved a series of women's Associate Member T20 competitions to boost the competitiveness of smaller cricket-playing nations as it prepares for the expansion of women's events in the 2028-2031 cycle.
It may be recalled that India had played a Test each against England and Australia at Mumbai in December last year, winning them by 347 runs and eight wickets respectively.
Cricket Australia postponed a three-match T20 International home series against Afghanistan's men's team in August this year.
Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the game, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said after it was criticised for selecting a second-string squad featuring seven debutants for the country's two fixtures in New Zealand next month.
A minimum of three-match Test series and the home team footing the bill of the visiting side in a bilateral contest are some of the recommendations made by the MCC's World Cricket Committee.
South Africa's decision to send a second-string side for Tests in New Zealand was a "wake-up call", said Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley.
Emphasising the importance of long format in women's cricket, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has called for more international and domestic red-ball fixtures.
Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jay Shah also said that there are no immediate plans to add more franchises to the 10-team competition and that any future additions must not dilute the quality of the product.
"The decision has been made considering 2024 is an ICC Men's T20 World Cup year, with the event due to be hosted in the West Indies and the USA in June 2024, and the shortest format matches will, therefore, help both the sides to prepare for the tournament," a spokesperson said.
Proliferation of T20 leagues puts squeeze on bilateral tours
With franchise cricket taking over a major part of the calender, MCC called for urgent intervention to save international cricket.
The IPL's two and half month window starts from March and goes on till the beginning of June.
'In many ways, cricket is growing and, on the surface, seems financially strong. However, we are increasingly seeing a game which focuses on a powerful few, as opposed to a democratic and inclusive approach for the benefit of the whole sport.'
Australia would be open to hosting Asian arch-rivals Pakistan and India in a series to revive a contest world cricket wants to see, board chief Nick Hockley said.
Allardice conceded some members put "particular attention on their domestic leagues" but insisted their commitment to international and bilateral cricket was "as strong as it's ever been".
According to ESPNcricinfo, MCC chief executive Stuart Fox spoke on SEN radio on day 4 of the second Test between Australia and South Africa and said that the club, as well as the Victoria government, had made an inquiry with CA about hosting a neutral Test.
The Indian team is likely to tour Australia twice in the next Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle from 2024-2032, with the number of Tests per series increased from the existing four to five.
The Games coincides with the women team's limited-overs tour of England
The venues for matches will be announced in April.
In the next cycle, the Aussies are scheduled to play four games in India, two in Pakistan and two in Sri Lanka, besides 10 Tests at home.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (KNCB) have mutually agreed to defer the three-match ODI series which began on Friday.
Leading players from top countries are clearly already struggling to cope with the demands of international cricket's packed calendar.
The IPL franchises are now expanding their bouquet of teams across leagues in the West Indies, UAE, South Africa and now the US is another untapped market that wasn't explored despite the Asian diaspora craving for some cricket.
Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi has denied asking for a window for the IPL and Champions League in the Futures Tour Programme of the ICC, saying there is a natural space for these two events in the calendar. 'We have never propagated that we should be part of the Future Tours Programme for the IPL or Champions League because I think there is a natural window for these two events,' he said.
The International Cricket Council on Wednesday said it will consider amendments in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) so that Test cricket remains the top form of the game.
But the IPL management and the Indian cricket board are optimistic.
