ICC considers expanding World Test Championship
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) — An International Cricket Council (ICC) working group is expected to submit a proposal to include Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan in the next cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC), boosting the number of teams to 12.
ESPNcricinfo reports that the group, led by Roger Twose, is also set to recommend that one-off Tests be included in the next cycle.
The proposals are expected to be presented to board heads at an ICC meeting later this month, or in early May.
Last year, Twose was appointed head of a working group and tasked with finding ways to enhance the game’s competition structures, with cricket struggling to deal with scheduling issues caused by the three international formats and a growing ecosystem of franchise leagues. In November the group presented a two-division WTC model, but that was shot down by a number of full members.
The working group will now return to present an expanded 12-team WTC model, which will include Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland. Despite being full members, the three were not included in the WTC when it was launched in 2019. They do play Tests, but opportunities against the nine WTC teams have been limited.
The working group will also recommend allowing one-off Tests to count towards the points accrued over the league’s two-year cycle. That, according to one official familiar with the discussions, is a bid to make it more financially viable for bigger full members to host smaller ones, including these three teams.
Currently a WTC series must have at least two Tests, which in some instances is viewed as a loss-making exercise for bigger boards.
The nine full members schedule their WTC commitments bilaterally, with three home and three away series over the course of two years. Including one-off Tests will allow Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland to fit into the league.
One official says the board will ultimately have to consider two things – whether one-off Tests are acceptable as part of the WTC, and whether it is financially sustainable for the three non-WTC teams to commit to two years of more Test cricket.
