LONDON: Emphasizing the importance of long format in women’s cricket, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has called for more international and domestic red-ball fixtures.

In the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle that goes on from 2022-25, Indian women’s team will play the fewest Test matches among the four sides competing in the longest format.

“This year we have two Tests - one against England and one against Australia - and I hope those games can make a huge impact on women’s cricket and hopefully in the future we will keep getting more Test matches.

“We have to bring back Test matches in women’s cricket because it’s very important for women’s cricket,” Kaur said on ‘Sky Sports Cricket Podcast’.

India is scheduled to play only a couple of Test matches -- both at home in the 2023-24 season against England and Australia. Its last Test was in 2021 in Australia.

England will play the most Tests -- five -- and Australia and South Africa four and three each.

“As a player, I definitely want more Tests because as a kid, we saw more Tests on TV than T20s. Nowadays, it’s a lot of fun playing T20s but Test cricket is something every cricketer wants to play.”