Cricket South Africa has welcomed the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the period 2018 to 2023.
The FTP provides clarity and certainty around all bilateral international fixtures and incorporates all three formats of the game. It focuses on bringing more context to bilateral cricket. A World Test Championship has been created along with a 13-team men’s ODI league that will act as a qualification pathway for the ICC Cricket World Cup.
‘The introduction of the World Test Championship and an ODI league will give these formats the much-needed context to ensure their long-term viability along with the popular T20 format,’ commented CSA acting chief executive Thabang Moroe.
‘The Championship and the league have been designed in a manner that is easy for all stakeholders, especially the fans, to follow as it leads up to a World Test Championship final and qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup which makes all international matches important.
‘We look forward to following the progress of our Proteas in both these competitions and to the enhanced products that we will be able to offer to our fans, our commercial partners and our players during our various bilateral tours. It is truly a win-win situation for all.’
Nine top-ranked sides will participate in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship, which will run from 15 July 2019 to 30 April 2021. The sides will play six series in the two-year cycle on a home and away basis against opponents they have mutually selected. The two top-ranked sides will then progress to the June 2021 final to decide the World Test champions.
In addition, the 12 Test playing nations and the Netherlands, will participate in the 13-team ODI League, which will run from 1 May 2020 to 31 March 2022 and all the sides will play eight series over a two-year cycle on a home and away basis against mutually agreed opponents.
South Africa’s opening series in the World Test Championship is against India in India in October 2019, while their first ODI series in the league is away to Sri Lanka in June 2020.
This league will serve as a qualification pathway for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. India (as host) plus the seven highest-ranked sides in the ODI league as on 31 March 2022 will qualify directly for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, while the bottom five sides will get a second chance to qualify through the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
The ICC FTP for 2018-2023 can be viewed here.
Photo: Deryck Foster/BackpagePix
