A day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced dates for next season's Indian Premier League, the ICC virtually left an unofficial window for the cash-rich Twenty20 event, making it possible for players from most nations to participate in it.
The ICC on Tuesday, the third day of its annual conference in Hong Kong, left gaps in the FTP for most nations during April and May for the eight-year period, 2012 to 20.
The FTP, which was approved by the ICC Executive Board on Tuesday, on recommendations of the Chief Executives' Committee, contains an official two-week window in September for the Champions League Twenty20 each year and leaves space for an unofficial IPL window in April and May.
All the earlier four editions of the IPL were held in April-May and the fifth edition next year is scheduled from April 4 to May 27.
Under the new FTP calendar, India is scheduled to host Pakistan for a Test series in 2013, the first after 2007.
But, beyond that, particulars of other series between the two countries are vague, with neither the host nation nor the number of games specified.
