The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to keep the World Test Championship (WTC) as a single-tier competition featuring all 12 Test-playing nations starting from the 2027 cycle. This move ends over a year of discussions on introducing a two-tier system with promotion and relegation, which collapsed during the latest quarterly ICC meeting in Dubai due to unresolved concerns over funding and match opportunities.
A working committee, chaired by former New Zealand cricketer Roger Twose, had explored the two-tier idea but hit roadblocks. Key issues included the funding model and ensuring that lower-ranked teams got chances to face top sides. The “Big Three” – India, Australia, and England – weren’t too pleased about potential relegation disrupting their bilateral series.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) CEO Richard Thompson highlighted this in August. “We wouldn’t want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India? That couldn’t happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here,” Thompson told BBC a few months ago.
Despite scrapping promotion-relegation, expanding the WTC to include all 12 teams is a win for the format’s inclusivity. Each nation must play a minimum number of Tests per cycle, without additional ICC funding for hosting. Decentralised revenue sharing from the Big Three was rejected, but the structure guarantees games for emerging sides like Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.
In ODIs, the 13-team Super League, axed in 2023 after a 2020 launch hampered by scheduling conflicts, may return post the next World Cup in 2027. Key officials see it as vital for adding context to the 50-over game amid relevance struggles. The 2027 World Cup stays at 14 teams, up from 10 in the last two editions, with no expansion plans. T20 World Cups remain at 20 teams.
Associate nations push for an Olympic-style T20 World Cup qualifier from 2028, allowing non-direct qualifiers to vie for spots via a global event.
Finally, the ICC refuses official status to the T10 format, despite proliferating leagues, keeping focus on traditional versions.
