How the first Future Tours Programme for women aims to get ahead of burgeoning T20 circuit
The ICC hopes they will be able to co-ordinate a women’s international cricket calendar with fewer clashes with franchise leagues than they have done in the men’s game by getting ahead of the T20 circuit thanks to their already published Future Tours Programme.
Last year, the ICC unveiled its first women’s FTP, months before the Women’s PSL and IPL were confirmed, and the game’s global governing body is confident of keeping a handle on the growth of the women’s game so both international and league cricket can take place side-by-side.
“The balance between the women’s international fixtures and the domestic leagues is something we are going to have a better chance at co-ordinating than the way the men’s calendar has developed over the last decade or so,” Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s CEO said at a round-table discussion with media on Tuesday.
“We are starting to see a fairly regular schedule of cricket for the top female players around the world and the release of the first FTP for women’s international cricket was a big stepping stone for trying to get ahead of that and trying to avoid clashes wherever possible with some of those leagues. It is something we are monitoring on a regular basis and hopefully as we update the FTP, it’s something we will continue to do to stay ahead of.”
A key difference between the men’s and women’s game, which Allardice believes will work in the women’s calendar’s favour, is the scarcity of Test matches. “The only difference is that the women’s calendar doesn’t have the same time blocks as the test series, so you have a little more freedom to avoid those collisions,” he said.
The women’s FTP has plenty of time left for the whiteball format as he only has seven tests scheduled for 2022-25.
Several women’s teams are already playing her T20 cricket in preparation for her T20 World Cup next month, followed by the first edition of the women’s IPL and PSL. The WIPL is particularly interesting because the team has already closed registrations and the player’s auction is scheduled for his January 26th. Just as the men’s IPL provided Indian and foreign players with significant funding and development opportunities, the ICC sees his WIPL as a tournament that can do the same. The ICC’s new women’s cricket manager, Snehal Pradhan, said, “It’s going to be big not only for Indian cricket, but also for the foreign players who will be attending the tournament.” Not only that, the standard of cricket was also high and good to advertise what might be next.The opportunity for more players to turn professional and get closer to becoming a professional is not only in India but around the world. It adds depth and quality.”
The growth of women’s football around the world is also a top priority for her ICC, with the ICC’s decision to host the Women’s U19-T20 World Cup (starting Saturday) and expand the field to her 16 teams. She is one of the reasons. senior tournament. Unlike the men’s game, where only 10 teams play Test cricket and there is a clear hierarchy of who plays more often and who is the top nation, the ICC puts the women’s game on a more equal footing than men’s Australia. Already a clear leader.