The International Cricket Council is expected to revisit the long-term structure of the World Test Championship during governance meetings later this month, with discussions likely to focus on how the competition can become more inclusive without weakening its competitive balance, according to a report by Cricbuzz’s Vijay Tagore.
Among the proposals expected to be discussed are plans to increase the number of participating nations from nine to 12 and recommendations that would allow standalone Test matches to carry World Test Championship points in future cycles.
The discussions come at a time when several smaller Full Members continue to face scheduling challenges within the Test calendar, particularly against wealthier boards that prioritise commercially stronger bilateral series.
Expansion plans return to ICC agenda
A working group chaired by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose has been examining possible adjustments to the World Test Championship structure, as previously reported by cricexec. Earlier discussions around splitting the competition into two divisions failed to attract sufficient backing from a number of Full Member boards.
Attention has now shifted toward a revised expansion model that would bring Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe into the WTC framework.
The ICC’s Chief Executives’ Committee is due to meet virtually on May 21, while the Board of Directors are scheduled to gather in Ahmedabad on May 30 and 31. The meetings were originally planned to take place in Doha earlier this year before being postponed due to the war in the Gulf.
According to the Cricbuzz, major decisions on the future of the competition are more likely to be handled during the Board discussions rather than in the Chief Executives’ forum.
Concerns remain over competitive balance
Despite renewed interest in expansion, reservations continue to exist around how a larger championship would operate in practice.
Questions are expected to be raised around scheduling parity, points distribution and whether teams playing significantly different numbers of Tests can realistically be measured within the same standings system.
The inclusion of one-off matches is also likely to generate debate around competitive consistency, especially if some nations face substantially tougher schedules than others across the two-year cycle.
Afghanistan’s possible inclusion has emerged as one of the wider talking points within those discussions, particularly given the irregular bilateral scheduling landscape currently surrounding the team.
Ahmedabad meetings could shape next WTC cycle
The upcoming ICC meetings are expected to play an important role in determining how the World Test Championship evolves beyond its current format.
Alongside governance discussions around Test cricket, the ICC is also expected to review commercial subjects including data monetisation and mobile gaming initiatives during the Ahmedabad meetings.
Any final decision on restructuring proposals for the next WTC cycle is expected to rest with the ICC Board following discussions later this month.
