Extended IPL With Two More Teams May Send FTP For A Toss

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The Indian cricket board's plan to accommodate two more franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2022 season is likely to leave cricket boards around the world worried as an increase in number of teams will mean the tournament will be extended by 10-15 days to accommodate more matches. The extended phase will overlap with Future Tours Programme (FTP).

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has no official window for the IPL which means that teams playing series during IPL dates either have to make do without their IPL-bound players or they have to plan their series outside the IPL schedule.

"A lot of series are lined up in March and June 2022, the months in which the tournament (normally played across April and May) could be extended to in case of increase in the number of matches. That has to be taken into consideration," said a former member of the IPL Governing Council to IANS.

The ICC, which has no dedicated window for the IPL since it is a domestic event, confirmed to IANS on Monday that the upcoming meeting of its Board on July 15 will not have the extended IPL on its agenda.

It means that the boards will have to sort it out on their own. India and eight other countries, that send players to IPL, will be playing in the months of March, May and June next year as per the ICC's 2018-2023 FTP.

Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa, India, New Zealand and Afghanistan are scheduled to play international cricket in March 2022 while England and New Zealand are expected to play cricket in May, 2022.

Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, India and England are scheduled to play in June and July. Although Pakistan, Netherlands, Ireland and Zimbabwe are also scheduled to play international cricket during the phase, their players don't feature in IPL. Pakistan players are barred while other three teams' players don't generally find takers from IPL franchises.

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