ICC’s FTP meeting postponed
The new format Future Tours Programme schedule meeting which was down to begin in Dubai on 26 February has been postponed for mid-March this year.
After India, Australia and England captured the power at the International cricket Council last week, cricket tours between Test playing nations became a free-for-all where bilateral tours would take the focus, and thus the meeting among the top ten nations was scheduled for Wednesday. However some of the countries made request from the cricket’s world body, to postpone the meeting as they were reportedly engaged in other urgent tasks.
The South Africans will make a tour of Sri Lanka in July, but, what would the FTP hold for Sri Lanka in the long run - File pic
When asked about the already arranged tours in the original ICC Future Tours Programme and if the respective countries would honour their commitments, Ranatunga said “The understanding is the tours which are scheduled until 2020 would go on as it is and we would reconfirm them once we meet in Dubai next month. However our task would be to get some series going from 2020 to 2023.”
Ranatunga added “I think this new system is more legally binding than the Future Tours Programme which existed. Now, when there is a series arranged, the two respective boards will sign a contract committing both teams for the tour. This way no country could pull out of a tour once they commit themselves.
Besides, the new format gives a lot of weight for profitable tours. According to the SLC secretary Sri Lanka could only make a sizable profit only if they play the three countries – India, England and Australia whom they opted defy in their take-over bid. On that scenario both Sri Lanka and Pakistan are on a very murky ground.
In the already programmed FTP Sri Lanka are scheduled to meet England on four occasions, India thrice and Australia twice.
Meanwhile South Africa will make a tour of Sri Lanka in July this year to play two tests and three ODIs.
