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The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) initiative to redraw its international schedule for coming years was given official stamp by the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) new six-year Future Tours Programme (FTP).

ICC, which was furious as the BCCI went ahead and altered its fixtures, recently, has accommodated India’s rescheduled series against Australia, England and Pakistan in the latest, expanded FTP.

Accordingly, India will host the world champions Australia every September from 2007 to 2010 featuring four Tests and seven one-dayers in all. In return, India will tour down under twice in 2007 and 2011 to play four Tests and a tri-series on each visit.

India will visit England in summers of 2007 (3 Tests and 7 ODIs) and 2011 (4 Tests and 5 ODIs) and host them in October 2008 and 2011 for 3 Tests, 7 ODIs and 5 ODIs respectively.

According to the FTP, India will play against arch-rivals Pakistan only thrice between 2007 and 2012, in 3 Tests and 5 ODIs on all occasions, but ICC statement said, “members may elect to amend or add to the Future Tours Programme during course of its lifespan”.

According to the programme, Asia Cup will be held in March 2010 and India play its first full-fledged series in seven years in Sri Lanka in July 2008.

Source:The News