International Cricket

FTP 2027-31 Window Leak May 2026: Bilateral Clusters Decoded

Anjali Iyer 19 May 2026 Updated 19 May 2026 ~6 min read ~1,009 words

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A reportedly leaked draft of the ICC's Future Tours Programme for the 2027-31 cycle emerged through informal channels in early May 2026, with the document showing the proposed bilateral cluster windows for all 12 Full Members across the four-year cycle. The leak has been described by two people familiar with the ICC Cricket Committee discussions as a "near-final working draft" with several disputed windows still unresolved. The 2027-31 FTP is the most-contested in cricket history, with the boards split over the volume of Tests, the placement of franchise windows, and the integration of women's bilateral fixtures. Here is what the leaked draft shows, the contested bilateral clusters, and the implications for the international calendar.

What the leaked draft shows

The leaked draft confirms the broad cycle: 24 Test series at minimum across the four years for the Big Three (India, Australia, England), with 18 Test series confirmed for South Africa, 14 for New Zealand, 12 for Sri Lanka and Pakistan, 10 for Bangladesh and West Indies, and 8 for Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan. The ODI fixture count is roughly halved from the 2023-27 cycle, reflecting the format's broadcast decline, with most bilateral series moving to two or three ODIs rather than the four or five-fixture norm of the previous cycle. The T20I count is up significantly, with most cycles including six or seven-fixture T20I series. Women's bilateral fixtures are integrated for the first time into the main FTP document, rather than being published as a separate annex.

Disputed bilateral clusters

The leaked draft has three major disputed clusters. The first dispute is around the late-2027 India-Pakistan bilateral re-engagement, with the draft showing a proposed three-Test, three-ODI, three-T20I series in November-December 2027, played at neutral venues in either UAE or Sri Lanka. The dispute is whether the series should be played at all, and whether the venue should be neutral or rotating home-and-away. The second dispute is around the 2028 BGT 2028, with the draft showing a five-Test series back in Australia in November-December 2028, but with one of the venues being the proposed new Hobart Test ground rather than the traditional Bellerive. The third dispute is around the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh window placement, with both boards requesting the November 2029 window.

Format spacing and turnaround rules

The leaked draft includes the most-detailed format-spacing rules ever included in an FTP. The new rules mandate a minimum seven-day gap between the end of a Test series and the start of the next bilateral fixture, regardless of format. The white-ball gap is shorter, with a minimum four-day window between ODI and T20I bilateral series. The cross-format gap is set at five days for ODI-to-Test transitions. The rules also include a maximum tour-length rule of 60 days for any single bilateral tour, designed to prevent the marathon-tour fatigue that plagued the 2023-27 cycle. The cross-cycle Pakistan-tours-of-England-and-Australia in 2028-29 are now subject to a forced one-week rest window between the end of the Australian leg and the start of the English leg.

Franchise window integration

The most-debated change in the leaked FTP draft is the formal integration of franchise league windows. The 2027-31 cycle confirms three protected franchise windows: the IPL in March-May, the SA20 plus ILT20 plus BPL combined window in January-February, and the Hundred plus MLC combined window in August. The protected windows mean no bilateral fixtures (men's or women's) can be scheduled during those weeks, which is a major departure from the 2023-27 cycle. Test-playing nations have argued for compromise on the SA20-plus-ILT20 window, with the BCCI's position being that the protected windows should not exceed eight weeks total. The leaked draft shows the protected windows as 10 weeks combined, which is being negotiated downward in the May 2026 committee discussions.

What it means

The 2027-31 FTP draft, if confirmed in its leaked form, would be the most-organised cricket calendar the international game has produced. The format-spacing rules, the protected franchise windows, and the integrated women's fixture schedule all represent significant improvements on the 2023-27 cycle. However, the contested clusters around India-Pakistan, BGT 2028 and the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh November 2029 window all remain unresolved, and the final FTP signoff is expected at the September 2026 ICC Annual Meeting. Watch the Cricket Committee's June and July 2026 sessions, those meetings will determine whether the leaked draft becomes the final published FTP or whether further revisions emerge.