ICC considering one-off Tests and expanded league to revamp WTC: Report

ICC mulls one-off showdowns to revamp World Test Championship. (Photo: ICC)

For the upcoming World Test Championship cycle, the cricket governing body is reportedly thinking about implementing a one-match "series."

According to a report in The Telegraph, England will defy the trend of shorter series by playing a five-match Test series against South Africa, the world champions, in 2032. During that summer, they also intend to play a special match against Australia to commemorate the Ashes' 150th anniversary.

Through a working committee headed by former New Zealand batsman Roger Twose, the International Cricket Council has been exploring ways to revitalize the WTC. Its job is to design out the future of the international calendar, which includes the WTC, which is currently in its fourth cycle.

Final judgments are not anticipated until March, but Twose's group spoke to the ICC earlier this month during its quarterly meeting in Dubai, the report added.

Also Read | 'Comparing everything to New Zealand wrong': Gautam Gambhir fires back at media post South Africa whitewash

Nine teams have competed in a single league in the WTC up to this point. Each team plays at least 12 games over six series, and a win percentage is used to determine the standings.

A Telegraph Sport report quoted Richard Thompson, the England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, as saying earlier this year that “it is fully understood that the current structure does not work in the way it should and we need to find a fairer, better competition”.

Due to concerns about the financial stability of "smaller" countries stuck in division two and the possibility of losing the flagship series between England, Australia, and India if one of those teams were demoted, it seems that the idea of two divisions or tiers of the WTC, which has been discussed on occasion for years, is now off the table. Broadcast agreements involving these major Test series are crucial to the financial stability of both Australia and England.

Rather, it appears likely that the WTC will expand to a 12-team league with all of the ICC's full members, including Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland in addition to the present nine.

Series might be as short as one game or as long as five, but each team would still need to play a minimum of twelve games over the course of two years, the report added.

One-match series would offer the advantage of allowing a Test match to be added to tours that would have previously only included white-ball matches due to financial constraints. Additionally, it might encourage some of the "bigger" countries to visit some of the "smaller" teams. These tours could be added to convenient geographical journeys or offered in any manner. For instance, teams touring England could go to Ireland before or after, or those heading to South Africa could visit Zimbabwe.

It's unclear exactly how the league table would operate. The WTC final will be held in England until 2031, most likely at Lord's, where South Africa defeated Australia earlier this year. The 2027 Ashes will mark the beginning of the next cycle, during which these modifications will be implemented.

Under Temba Bavuma's leadership, South Africa has had a timely comeback. In addition to being the world Test champions, they are on the verge of winning a historic series in India.

The ECB has convinced its South African counterparts (CSA) to revert to five-match series, which will improve the format. The reintroduction of cricket to the Olympics in Los Angeles, together with other pre-existing arrangements, have put an end to the hopes that this would start for South Africa's next trip to England in 2028. South Africa will so visit for five Test matches in 2032 and then every four years after that. It is also hoped that England's trips to South Africa will once again consist of five games.

When South Africa initially made a comeback to the international scene following apartheid, it was customary for England and the Proteas to play five Test matches. However, they last faced off in five Test matches in 2004–05; initially, they were reduced to four games, then three. South Africa did not play a single home game this summer, and all six of its series in the previous WTC cycle were two-match affairs.

In recent years, the ECB has been eager to get backing from Test opponents for extended summer series in England. Although Australia and India already tour for five-match series every other year, the Test summers in between are thought to be flatter.

England will travel to Melbourne in March 2027 for a one-off, day-night Test with the pink ball to mark 150 years of Test cricket — a nod to history that mirrors the 1977 centenary Test between Australia and England at the same venue.