Future Tours Programme proves men’s ODI cricket is ‘dying a slow death’
ODIs were once the marquee event of the Aussie home summer, but the 50-over format is slowly being wiped from the calendar.
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One day international matches were once the marquee event of the Australian home summer, but the 50-over format is slowly being wiped from the cricket calendar.
The International Cricket Council unveiled the men’s Future Tours Programme on Wednesday afternoon AEST, detailing Australian fixtures over the next four-year cycle.
According to the FTP, the Australian men’s team is scheduled to play 15 home ODI between July 2023 and June 2027 — less than four matches per season.
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In the 2023/24 home summer, for example, the only ODI cricket the national men’s team will play is a three-match bilateral series against the West Indies.
Earlier this century, the 15-match triangular ODI series was a celebrated feature of the Australian home summer, but the Big Bash League’s popularity has dominated the January window since its inauguration in 2011.
It serves as another example of why the 50-over format is slowly losing its relevance in the sport — last month, England captain Ben Stokes announced his retirement from ODI cricket at 31.
“Three formats are just unsustainable for me now,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Not only do I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel that I am taking the place of another player who can give their all.”
Speaking to reporters last month, Australian batter Usman Khawaja argued the other two formats were slowly overshadowing one-day cricket.
“Fifty-over cricket is probably the toughest on the body … you ask any cricketer, 50-over cricket is very tough work,” he explained.
“You’ve got Test cricket, which is the pinnacle, you’ve got T20 cricket which obviously has leagues around the world, great entertainment, everyone loves it, and then there’s one-day cricket, and I feel like that’s probably the third ranked out of all of them.
“I think personally one-day cricket is dying a slow death, but at the end of the day, there’s still one-day cricket to be had. There’s still the World Cup, which I think is really fun and enjoyable to watch.
“Other than that, I’m probably not into one-day cricket much either.
“Something has to give, because you can’t have all three formats all together playing all the games; you’re going to have to decide and choose.
“I don’t know how it’s going to go. I think T20 cricket’s here to stay definitely, Test cricket’s here to stay definitely. But what happens to one-day cricket?”
The FTP also confirmed the blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India will be become a five-Test affair, with the Aussies next hosting their fierce subcontinent rivals in 2024/25.
The Australian men’s team has fixtures scheduled across all three formats against both England and India every playing year between now and the 2026/27 season.
Cricket Australia has also pushed for a clearer window in January, so international-quality talent will be available for the BBL.
Meanwhile, the national women’s side will have a home Test match scheduled every summer between 2023/24 and 2025/26, facing South Africa, England and India.
The Aussie women’s team will also host England for a stand-alone multi-format Ashes series in January 2025.
“We are delighted to have secured extensive high-quality content across both the women’s and men’s programs in a schedule that encompasses many of our key priorities for Australian Cricket,” Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling, said in a statement.
“In addition to our ICC mandated World Test Championship (men’s) and ODI (women’s) opponents, the increase to a reciprocal five Test Border-Gavaskar series is a significant milestone and will greatly enhance the enduring rivalry and respect that exists between the Australian and Indian men’s teams.
“Our world champion women’s team have produced epic encounters against both India and England in recent years and to lock in multiple home and away series, including a stand-alone women’s Ashes in 2025, is a terrific outcome.
“We recognise our responsibilities to the game globally and the positive impact we can have on emerging markets and feel this schedule also supports those goals.
“Importantly, most of our home content will remain in our traditional window for both men and women, including a largely uninterrupted international window for the WBBL and greater flexibility for Australian players to participate in the BBL.”
Australian Men’s FTP
2023/24
June — ICC World Test Championship Final
June/July — England vs Australia (5 Tests)
September — South Africa vs Australia (5 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
September — India vs Australia (3 ODIs)
October/November — ICC ODI World Cup in India
November/December — India vs Australia (5 T20Is)
December/January — Australia vs Pakistan (3 Tests)
January/February — Australia vs West Indies (2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
February/March — New Zealand vs Australia (2 Tests, 3 T20Is)
2024/25
June — ICC World T20 in West Indies and USA
August — Afghanistan vs Australia (3 T20Is)
August/September — Ireland vs Australia (3 ODIs, 1 T20I)
September — England vs Australia (5 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
November — Australia vs Pakistan (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
December/January — Australia vs India (5 Tests)
January/February — Sri Lanka vs Australia (2 Tests)
February/March — ICC ODI Champions Cup in Pakistan
2025/26
June — ICC World Test Championship
June/July — West Indies vs Australia (2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
August — Australia vs South Africa (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
October — New Zealand vs Australia (3 T20Is)
October/November — Australia vs India (3 ODIs, 5 T20Is)
December/January — Australia vs England (5 Tests)
February — Pakistan vs Australia (3 T20Is)
February/March — ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka
March — Pakistan vs Australia (3 ODIs)
2026/27
June: Bangladesh vs Australia (3 ODIs, 3 T20s)
August: Australia vs Afghanistan (1 Test, 3 T20Is)
September/October — South Africa vs Australia (3 Tests, 3 ODIs)
November/December — Australia vs England (3 ODIs, 5 T20Is)
December/January — Australia vs New Zealand (3 Tests)
January/February — India vs Australia (5 Tests)
March: Australia vs Bangladesh (2 Tests)
Australian Women’s FTP
2022/23
December — India vs Australia (5 T20Is)
January — Australia vs Pakistan (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
February — ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa
2023/24
June/July — England vs Australia (1 Test, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
July — Ireland vs Australia (3 ODIs)
September/October — Australia vs West Indies (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
December/January — India vs Australia (1 Test, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
January/February — Australia vs South Africa (1 Test, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
March/April — Bangladesh vs Australia (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
2024/25
September/October — ICC World T20
December — New Zealand vs Australia (3 ODIs)
December – Australia vs India (3 ODIs)
January/February — Australia vs England (1 Test, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
March — New Zealand vs Australia (3 T20Is)
2025/26
September/October — ICC ODI World Cup in India
January/February — Australia vs India (1 Test, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is)
March — Commonwealth Games in Victoria
Originally published as Future Tours Programme proves men’s ODI cricket is ‘dying a slow death’
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