England’s men to host more five-Test series but play some one-off games overseas

• Longer UK series planned for South Africa and Pakistan

• Single Sri Lanka and Bangladesh games OK for ICC’s WTC

England’s men will face a lopsided Test schedule in the next future tours programme (FTP), with a move to stage more five-match series at home to be offset by an increase in one-off Tests overseas.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is abandoning the principle of aiming for reciprocal home and away series in the next World Test Championship (WTC), which will begin with the home Ashes series next summer. The ECB has already held talks with South Africa and Pakistan over touring for five Test matches for the first time in decades, but on the flip side England’s future tours to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh could comprise a single Test complemented by white-ball games that are more commercially viable to the host Boards.