Understanding the Cricket Fixtures Calendar
A fixtures list looks simple — two teams, a date, a venue — but a lot of planning sits behind it. International cricket is scheduled years in advance, and knowing how that calendar is built helps you see why certain tours happen when they do and how to plan your viewing around them.
How the schedule is set
Most international fixtures come from the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP), a multi-year agreement that maps out which nations tour each other and when. Around it sit global events like World Cups and the Champions Trophy, plus busy franchise windows such as the IPL. Boards try to avoid clashing their marquee series, which is why the calendar moves in distinct seasons rather than a constant stream of matches.
Reading a fixture correctly
- Format — Test, ODI or T20I. This tells you how long the match lasts and what kind of contest to expect, from five-day endurance to a three-hour sprint.
- Venue and city — conditions vary enormously between grounds; a result is often shaped by whether the pitch favours pace, spin or batting.
- Start time — fixtures are listed in your local time where possible, so day and night matches are easy to plan around wherever you are.
Live, upcoming and recent
The tabs above separate matches that are in progress, still to come and recently finished. That makes it easy to jump straight into a live scorecard, set a reminder for a fixture you don't want to miss, or catch up on a result and full scorecard from a game you couldn't watch.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone are the fixtures shown in?
Match times are presented in your local time where available, so you don't need to convert from the venue's time zone yourself.
How far ahead are fixtures listed?
Upcoming fixtures appear as soon as boards confirm them, and the list updates automatically whenever a schedule changes.
Can I open the scorecard from a fixture?
Yes — select any live or completed fixture to open its full scorecard, ball-by-ball commentary and match details.