The International Cricket Council is reportedly discussing a major change to the World Test Championship. The proposal aims to expand the tournament from nine teams to 12 teams starting from the 2027–29 cycle.
The new plan could also introduce one-off Test matches into the competition. Cricket officials believe these changes could help improve the global Test schedule and bring more teams into the championship.
World Test Championship Finals So Far
The World Test Championship began in 2019 as a league-style competition to decide the best Test team in the world. Since then, several strong teams have reached the finals across different cycles.
WTC Final Results
| WTC Cycle | Finalists | Winner | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2021 | India vs New Zealand | New Zealand | Southampton |
| 2021–2023 | India vs Australia | Australia | The Oval, London |
| 2023–2025 | South Africa vs Australia | South Africa | Lord’s, London |
India, led by Virat Kohli in the first cycle, finished as runners-up after losing the final to New Zealand. The team again reached the final in the 2021–23 cycle but lost to Australia.
Australia have remained one of the strongest Test teams and continued to reach major finals in the tournament. In the most recent cycle, South Africa, led by Temba Bavuma, won the championship after defeating Australia at Lord’s.
ICC Planning Major WTC Expansion
Cricket administrators are now looking at expanding the competition to make it more inclusive. The proposal would increase the number of teams participating in the WTC from nine to 12.
Another important idea is the inclusion of one-off Test matches within the championship schedule. This could give teams more flexibility when organizing international tours.
The proposed changes would start from the 2027–29 WTC cycle if approved.
Working Group Leading the Plan
A special working group has been formed to study possible changes to the Test cricket schedule.
The group is led by Roger Twose, a former New Zealand international cricketer. The committee has been reviewing how international cricket is scheduled, especially with the challenges created by multiple formats and the rise of franchise leagues around the world.
The group is expected to present its proposal to ICC board members during an upcoming meeting.
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Teams That Could Join the WTC
The expansion plan includes adding three more Test-playing nations to the championship.
Possible New Teams in WTC
| Team | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | Full ICC member playing Test cricket |
| Afghanistan | Full ICC member with Test status |
| Ireland | Full ICC member with Test status |
These teams were not part of the original WTC competition when it started in 2019.
Including them could help increase the number of Test matches played globally and give these nations more opportunities to compete at the highest level.
Officials also believe the expansion could help make tours between larger and smaller cricket nations more financially practical.
Structural Changes Being Discussed
Along with expansion, cricket administrators are discussing several structural changes.
One proposal is to allow one-off Test matches to be included in the championship. For example, Zimbabwe could play a single Test against South Africa during a tour.
Similarly, England could appear in one-off Tests outside their traditional multi-match series.
These changes aim to make the international schedule more flexible and allow more teams to participate without creating scheduling conflicts.
However, cricket boards still need to consider several questions before making a final decision.
Key Questions Under Discussion
| Issue | Explanation |
|---|---|
| One-off Tests in WTC | Whether single Tests should count towards the championship |
| Financial viability | Whether smaller nations can sustain longer WTC participation |
| Scheduling balance | How to fit Test cricket alongside franchise leagues |
The proposal is expected to be discussed by ICC leaders at their next board meeting.
If approved, the World Test Championship could expand to 12 teams and include a mix of traditional Test series and one-off matches from the 2027–29 cycle.
The goal is to grow Test cricket globally, provide more opportunities for emerging teams, and create a more flexible international calendar.
