The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a revised Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-2025, adding extra T20Is against New Zealand to aid their preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024. The modifications were made in consultation with Cricket West Indies (CWI) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC), resulting in changes to the FTP schedule. Pakistan’s tour to New Zealand and the ICC World Test Championship matches against the West Indies have been rescheduled to optimize preparation for upcoming tournaments.
To bolster their T20 World Cup preparations, Pakistan will play ten additional T20Is against New Zealand. The series will occur in New Zealand from January 12 to 21, 2025. This comes after Pakistan’s participation in three ICC World Test Championship matches in Australia from December 14 to January 7, providing a smooth transition from Test cricket to the T20 format.
New Zealand will visit Pakistan in April 2024 for a five-match T20I series as part of the arrangement. This will fill the vacant window in the FTP and allow both teams to engage in valuable competitive matches ahead of major tournaments.
The additional fixtures against New Zealand add up to 19 T20Is for Pakistan in their preparations for the T20 World Cup. Alongside New Zealand, Pakistan will face the Netherlands, Ireland, and England in T20I encounters. The PCB will further organize the HBL Pakistan Super League in February and March 2024 to provide more exposure and experience for players.
The revised FTP ensures a comprehensive schedule for Pakistan’s men’s cricket team from 2023 to 2025. Notably, all Test matches during this period will contribute towards the World Test Championship. The 2023-24 season includes tours to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Australia and participation in the ODI Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup in India.
For the 2024-25 season, series against Bangladesh, England, Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, and Bangladesh are scheduled, including the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, and various bilateral series.
