ICC schedules only seven women’s Tests up to April 2025 as first future tours programme is revealed | Cricket News

England drew a four-day Test against South Africa earlier this summer, which is counted towards the seven Test matches scheduled in this cycle; of the remaining six, Heather Knight’s side will be involved in four of them, including home and away against Australia in the Ashes

Heather Knight’s England drew with South Africa in their four-day Test match earlier this summer

The International Cricket Council has unveiled details of the first women’s future tours programme, featuring over 300 fixtures but just seven Test matches.

The three-year cycle, which is already under way and runs until April 2025, represents a new frontier for the women’s game, with greater definition and structure over the course of 135 one-day internationals and 159 T20Is.

But it also underlines the peripheral nature of red-ball cricket in the women’s game, following ICC chair Greg Barclay’s suggestion earlier this summer that Tests were not likely to be “part of the landscape moving forward”.

England’s drawn four-day Test against South Africa earlier this summer is counted towards the seven Test matches included in this cycle.

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Valkerie Baynes, Charlotte Edwards and Charles Dagnall discuss the state of women’s Test cricket

As for the remaining six planned, England will be involved in four of them, including home and away matches against Australia in the Ashes and games on tour in India and South Africa.

As it stands, Heather Knight’s side do not have a Test scheduled on home soil next summer. Australia will also play one-off fixtures against India and South Africa.

Wasim Khan, general manager of cricket at the ICC, said: “This is a huge moment for the women’s game. This FTP not only lends certainty to future cricket tours but also sets the base for a structure that is sure to grow in the coming years.”

All ODI series will be three-matches long, with results building towards qualification for the 2025 World Cup.