DHAKA: Bangladesh are likely to play 64 Test matches in the period between October this year and December in 2022, according to the latest version of the 2015-2023 FTP.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) publishes Future Tours Program, reports the espncricinfo.com on Tuesday late night.
It said that the list includes eight three-Test series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand with 90-plus ODIs and 27 T20s in bilateral series, apart from various tri-series and ICC tournaments.
However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are quietly satisfied with the latest version of the FTP, though more series can be added after they sign the bilateral agreements in the next ICC Board meeting in October this year.
National cricket board officials said that when the deals are completed, it should lessen the Bangladesh cricketers who were worried about their Test future last January.
Anyways, Bangladesh's maiden tour to neighboring competitor India has been scheduled for August 2016 while India are likely to visit here in 2015 and 2020.
Australia could tour Bangladesh to play Tests in October 2015 and February 2020 while they are likely to host in two Tests and three ODIs in August 2017.
However, only England are not penciled to host Bangladesh during this period although they are scheduled to tour Bangladesh four times.
BCB president Nazmul Hasan had earlier in February confirmed many of these tours, having signed agreements with these three boards.
Among the three-Test tours, five will be at home, two in Zimbabwe and one in New Zealand.
Earlier, Bangladesh played only two three-match Test series - against Pakistan in 2003 and Sri Lanka in 2007.
On the other hand, the first of these three-match series is to be held later this year when Bangladesh host Zimbabwe in October and November.
In total, Bangladesh will play Zimbabwe in six such series but the most number of series are against New Zealand - seven.
Bangladesh will host New Zealand three times while country’s national team is scheduled to tour New Zealand in 2016-17, 2019, 2021 and 2022-23.
The least number of series are against South Africa and Pakistan, with Bangladesh playing them twice each during this cycle.
Member nations have been told to sign their bilateral agreements by the next ICC Board meeting in October in order to firmly establish that FTP is both "binding and bankable".
Bangladesh have played 83 Tests so far, hosting slightly more than half of those.
BDST: 1123 HRS, JULY 09, 2014
