ICC confirms BCCI's tour programme

Indian Cricket Board's (BCCI) initiative to redraw its international schedule for the coming years was given official stamp through the ICC's new six-year Future Tours Programme released on Tuesday.

The ICC, which was seething as 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 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.

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

The FTP provides for India to play against their arch-rivals Pakistan only thrice between 2007 and 2012 - in 3 Tests and 5 ODIs on all occasions - but the ICC statement said "members may elect to amend or add to the FTP during the course of its lifespan".

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