ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Cricket West Indies (CWI) has welcomed the unveiling of the men’s and women’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP), which will be highlighted by major home series against powerhouses India and England next year and the staging of the men’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup in the Caribbean.

The men’s side will take on India in July and August, while England will tour the Caribbean for a white-ball series in December, the fixtures forming part of over 150 internationals scheduled to be played during the new 2023-2027 FTP cycle. West Indies Women, meanwhile, will play 66 matches during the first-ever Women’s FTP, which runs from 2022-2025. The eight-match series against New Zealand Women in Antigua next month will kick-start the cycle for the Caribbean side before they turn their attention to a Tri-Nation Series in South Africa involving India Women at the start of 2023.

“Cricket West Indies is pleased that the new men’s and women’s FTP has been agreed as it provides some certainty of our bilateral tours and matches across all formats against all other full member nations,” said CWI chief executive Johnny Grave.

“The major highlight during the period will be our joint hosting of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June 2024, where we will partner with the USA to deliver an event of the highest quality, on and off the field.

“The hosting of the Men’s T20 World Cup will help to inspire the next generation of young West Indians and reignite the cricketing passion of our fans in the Caribbean and around the world as well as provide a legacy and catalyst for growth of the sport within the US.”

He continued: “We are also pleased that we have once again been able to secure full windows for the Indian Premier League and Caribbean Premier League for our players as we try to find a balance between our international commitments and the significant earning opportunities for our players from domestic leagues.”

CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams applauded the inaugural women’s FTP, and said the regional board would continue to provide the resources needed by West Indies Women to excel.

“The first-ever FTP put out by the ICC reflects the increased prominence of Women’s Cricket and will be an incentive for continued investment by Cricket West Indies in the women’s game,” said the former Test captain.

“CWI has greatly increased investment into the women’s game in the last few years and the aim across this upcoming FTP cycle is to increase the levels of consistency from our women across formats, both in bilateral series and world events.”

West Indies Men also face a hectic year in 2024 with a daunting all-format tour of Australia, followed by an equally difficult assignment of a three-Test series in Pakistan.

West Indies are scheduled to host India, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia, and Pakistan before the end of 2025.