KEY POINTS
- Zimbabwe becomes the 11th team in the expanded ICC Women’s Championship.
- A new T20 Champions Trophy for women will debut in 2027.
- West Indies will return to Test cricket after more than 20 years, with a total of 15 Tests scheduled in the new FTP cycle.
The ICC Women’s ODI Championship is set to expand to 11 teams in the new 2025-29 Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle with the inclusion of Zimbabwe. This marks the first time Zimbabwe will participate in the Women’s Championship, following the recent additions of Bangladesh and Ireland. Zimbabwe’s inclusion means all ICC Full Members, except Afghanistan, are now part of the prestigious championship. The expansion aims to provide more competitive opportunities for women’s cricket globally.
In their debut cycle, Zimbabwe will play four series at home against South Africa, West Indies, Ireland, and Sri Lanka, and four away series against India, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. This extended format ensures that every team will play both home and away series, further developing women’s cricket at the international level.
New global events for women’s cricket, including the T20 Champions Trophy
The new FTP cycle also introduces a T20 Champions Trophy for women, to be held in 2027 in Sri Lanka. This six-team tournament will feature 16 matches, adding to the ICC’s strategic plan to host at least one global women’s tournament each year. Additionally, the FTP will see three major global events within a 12-month period, including the T20 World Cup (2028), the T20 Champions Trophy (2027), and women’s cricket’s debut at the LA Olympics (2028).
This expanded tournament calendar will be accompanied by a broader schedule of bilateral series and tri-nation tournaments, providing ample preparation opportunities for teams ahead of the major ICC events.
Test cricket returns for West Indies after a 20-year absence
One of the major highlights of the new FTP is the return of West Indies to women’s Test cricket after more than 20 years. West Indies will host Australia for a Test match in March 2026 as part of a multi-format series, followed by another Test against England in April 2027 and a third Test against South Africa in December 2028. This marks a significant milestone for the West Indies, who last played a women’s Test in 2003-04.
The FTP includes a total of 15 women’s Tests, featuring India, Australia, and South Africa in several high-profile matches. India is scheduled to play away Tests against Australia and South Africa in 2026, while also hosting Australia and England later in the cycle. South Africa, meanwhile, will host Australia for their first women’s Test in 2027.
With the ODI World Cup set for 2029 and the venue yet to be announced, the new FTP cycle promises to deliver a wide array of opportunities for women’s cricket to grow and thrive on the global stage.
