Bangladesh’s national cricket team is preparing for a relentless stretch of international fixtures through March 2027, as outlined in the Future Tours Programme (FTP). The team will embark on an uninterrupted run of matches, with the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe this month in Sylhet and Chattogram marking the start of this intense phase, reports UNB.
From now until the end of the FTP period, which runs through 2027, Bangladesh is scheduled to compete in almost every month, with minimal breaks, apart from December 2025 and January 2026. The national team will play a staggering 16 bilateral series, consisting of 18 Tests, 32 ODIs, and 32 T20Is. Among these series, three will be full-format contests, combining all three formats—Tests, ODIs, and T20Is—while several others will focus on limited-overs formats.
Additionally, Bangladesh will participate in two major T20 tournaments during this period: the Asia Cup in September this year and the ICC T20 World Cup in February and March 2026. This packed calendar coincides with the extended tenure of Phil Simmons as head coach, with the former West Indies cricketer set to guide the team at least until the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is scheduled for October-November, just outside the current FTP window.
Nazmul Abedeen, BCB’s cricket operations chief, stated that the board is planning with the 2027 World Cup in mind. "When coach Simmons arrives on April 8, we’ll finalise the roadmap," he shared. Nazmul emphasized that the board views the busy schedule not as a burden but as a valuable opportunity to test and rotate players across formats.
There will be a concerted effort to provide exposure to both senior and emerging players through national team selections, as well as through additional matches for the ‘A’ and high-performance squads. With such a packed calendar, the BCB aims to build a strong and versatile squad ready for the challenges leading up to the 2027 World Cup.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
