Pakistan set to host England, New Zealand women’s teams in historic tour
LAHORE: In a groundbreaking moment for women’s cricket in Pakistan, the country will host the national teams of England, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe for the first time. This announcement comes as part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme for 2024-29.
Zimbabwe is set to tour Pakistan in April/May 2026, followed by New Zealand in April 2027. England will then visit in October of the same year.
With Zimbabwe making its debut in the competition, the fourth edition of the ICC Women’s Championship will run from 2026 to 2029 and feature 11 teams competing for direct entry into the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029. Each team will play against eight others in a format that includes four home and four away series, mirroring the current setup. A total of 132 One Day Internationals (ODIs) will be played across 44 series, with each series containing three matches.
Additionally, Bangladesh will be the fourth team to visit Pakistan, with their matches scheduled for October 2028.
Pakistan’s women’s team will also be traveling for several away series, including South Africa in February 2026, Sri Lanka in July 2026, the West Indies in November 2026, and Ireland in June 2028.
The Future Tours Programme guarantees an ICC Women’s tournament each year, beginning with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, followed by the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027, and another ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028.
To prepare for these upcoming ICC events, member countries have agreed to schedule tri-series tournaments. Notably, before the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, Ireland will host a tri-series involving Pakistan and the West Indies.
Home Series:
- vs. Zimbabwe: April 2026
- vs. New Zealand: April 2027
- vs. England: October 2027
- vs. Bangladesh: October 2028
Away Series:
- vs. South Africa: February 2026
- vs. Sri Lanka: July 2026
- vs. West Indies: November 2026
- vs. Ireland: June 2028
