London, May 10:

Officials at the International Cricket Council (ICC) called for a “responsible” reaction to the launch of their new six-year Future Tours Programme (FTP) unveiled on Tuesday.

Responding to concerns about player burn-out from an excessive amount of international matches the ICC said the FTP “provides the foundation for a balanced schedule for ICC Full Members”.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the drafting of the FTP was a complex process involving two years of analysis. And by publishing it means everyone can quickly discover their team’s future commitments and be able to plan accordingly.