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KARACHI: The International Cricket Council revealed the Future Tours Programme cycle for the next four years on Wednesday, which means that the dates of the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League would conflict with the Indian Premier League for the first time in 2025.
The Pakistan Cricket Board appears unconcerned about competing in what is perhaps the world’s best franchise cricket event, though.
The ICC Champions Trophy will be hosted in the February–March window in 2025, which normally hosts the PSL. Therefore, the cash-rich tournament is slated for March through May of that year, coinciding nearly exactly with the IPL’s extended timeframe that extends until the start of June.
Due to the conflict with the IPL, elite international players would not be able to take part in the PSL because of the enormous compensation packages offered to them in India.
But the PCB has a distinct perspective on the situation. The PSL “does not need to rely on foreign players to draw eye balls,” according to the “philosophy” at the board’s headquarters.
“The local players are what really make the tournament entertaining to watch,” a PCB representative stated to Dawn on Wednesday.
The PCB believes that Pakistan may benefit from the PSL’s conflicting dates with the IPL. Since there are no scheduled international matches during the IPL window, “more players accessible to choose from,” the source said.
The official stated, “The best players will play in the PSL; the IPL may draw the best of the greatest players.”
Dawn is aware that the PCB would have preferred to hold a 50-over tri-nation series between the Black Caps and South Africa immediately before the ICC event, rather than continuing with the regular PSL schedule, in order to provide the national side match practice ahead of the Champions Trophy. The PCB has scheduled its visit to New Zealand for three One-day Internationals and two T20 games in January 2025.
For the first time since 2004–05, Pakistan will also host a tri-nation cricket event, which will include England and Sri Lanka, in October–November 2026.
The 50-over Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan in September of the following year. However, given the severe political relations between the neighboring nations, there is a good chance that India may refuse to cross the border for the continental event.
According to sources, the Asian Cricket Council organizes the Asia Cup, and “the ACC will deal with a situation if one of the players pulls out.”
After the Asia Cup, there is the ICC World Cup in India, and a source says Pakistan will not think twice about going. However, there is a risk that the PCB would boycott the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will also be held by India, if India does not repay the favor by traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy less than two years later.
On the other hand, the ICC board, which is represented by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), accepted Pakistan’s award of the Champions Trophy.
In comparison to other Test-playing countries, Pakistan will play the fewest amount of matches—27—according to the FTP. Nonetheless, Pakistan’s Test matches will all be played as part of the World Test Championship cycles for 2023–25 and 2025–27.
Three nations that play Test cricket, namely Bangladesh, New Zealand, and South Africa, have made the decision to play series against non-WTC teams such as Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland, while Pakistan has chosen not to do so. This decision was made in part because hosting Test matches is costly given the format’s extensive nature.
Pakistan has less games than its WTC rivals since they are unable to face India, which costs them at least six Test matches. More Tests are still played by the national team than in its previous four-year FTP cycle.
Pakistan’s fixtures in the 2025–2027 championship are against Bangladesh (away), England (away), New Zealand (home), South Africa (home), Sri Lanka (home), and West Indies (away). In the WTC, Pakistan will play Tests against Australia (away), Bangladesh (home), England (home), South Africa (away), and Sri Lanka (home).
“ONE-EYE” ON ICC OCCURRENCES
Pakistan has made sure they are well-prepared for the international events of the ICC.
In preparation for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which the United States and the West Indies will jointly host, Pakistan will play 11 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against the Netherlands, Ireland, and England, according to a PCB release.
Pakistan will host Australia for a three-match T20 series before to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Between 2023 and 2027, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland will also play white-ball matches in Pakistan.
During the four-year FTP period, Pakistan will play in about 238 days of international cricket, which will include 27 WTC matches (13 home and 14 away), 47 ODIs (26 home and 21 home), and 56 T20Is (27 home and 29 away).
These consist of games in the Champions Trophy and the 50-over Asia Cup, respectively.
“Context, quality, and player workload have been given importance when concluding our Future Tours Programme 2023-2027 amid a tight and densely-packed cricket calendar,” PCB Chief Executive Officer Faisal Hasnain stated in a statement.
“We have also endeavored to strike a suitable equilibrium among all three formats to ensure their meaningful coexistence.”
Men’s Future Tours Program for Pakistan, 2023–2027: 2023–2024:
July: Two Tests between Pakistan and Sri Lanka
August: Three ODIs from Pakistan to Afghanistan
September: Pakistan hosts the ACC 50-over Asia Cup
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023, October–November
Pakistan to Australia (three Tests) in December and January
March: West Indies in Pakistan (three Twenty20 Internationals, two Tests)
Pakistan travels to England (five T20Is), Ireland (three T20Is), and the Netherlands (three T20Is) in May.
June: The 2024 USA/West Indies ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
2024–2025:
August: Two Tests between Bangladesh and Pakistan
October: Three Tests between England and Pakistan
November: Three ODIs and three Twenty20Is from Pakistan to Australia
Pakistan visiting Zimbabwe in November and December (three ODIs and three T20Is)
Pakistan visits South Africa in December and January for two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.
January: Three ODIs and three Twenty20Is between Pakistan and New Zealand
February: ODI tri-series between South Africa and New Zealand in Pakistan
Pakistan 2025: ICC Champions Trophy, February–March
May: Three ODIs and three T20Is against Bangladesh and Pakistan
2025–2026:
Pakistan to the West Indies in July and August (three ODIs, three T20Is)
August 3 T20 Internationals between Afghanistan and Pakistan
ACC T20 Asia Cup, August–September (host/venue TBC)
Ireland plays three ODIs and three T20Is in Pakistan from September to October.
South Africa visits Pakistan from October to November for two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.
November: Three ODIs and three T20Is between Sri Lanka and Pakistan
February 3 T20 Internationals between Australia and Pakistan
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026—India/Sri Lanka in February and March
March: Three ODIs between Australia and Pakistan
Pakistan to Bangladesh in March and April (two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is)
Zimbabwe in Pakistan in April and May (three ODIs and three T20Is)
2026–2027:
Pakistan to the West Indies in July and August (two Tests)
Pakistan to England (three Tests) in August and September
October 3 T20 Internationals between Sri Lanka and Pakistan
England and Sri Lanka play an ODI tri-series in Pakistan from October to November.
November: Two Tests between Sri Lanka and Pakistan
March: Two Tests between New Zealand and Pakistan
HBL Pakistan Super League (potential seasons in the cycle 2023–2027):
January–February in 2024
March–May in 2025
December 2025–January 2026, 2026
January/February of 2027.
