Potential Restructuring of ICC World Test Championship 2027-29: A Two-Division Proposal

Speculation suggests that the Pakistan men’s cricket team might find itself positioned in the second division of a newly envisioned two-tiered structure for Test cricket, according to reports from British media on Monday.

An eight-member task force was reportedly established by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to deliberate on the feasibility of divisional Test systems.

Headed by chief executive Sanjog Gupta, the body includes chief executives from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA). Their mandate is to present recommendations to the ICC by the close of 2025.

Reports indicate that the proposed format could be rolled out from the next ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, scheduled for 2027 to 2029.

Consequently, the upcoming WTC cycle is anticipated to broaden, expanding the number of participating teams from nine to twelve.

These twelve teams would then be allocated into two divisions, each comprising six teams. The first division would consist of top-ranked teams, such as current WTC titleholders South Africa, along with Australia, India, England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.

The second division is expected to include Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, potentially joined by Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Ireland, as these three nations are likely candidates for inclusion in the expanded WTC format.

However, such a fundamental shift in the sport’s 133-year history would necessitate approval from a two-thirds majority of the ICC’s 12 full members, with discussions primarily focusing on the mechanics of relegation and promotion.

Moreover, the suggested system may entail augmented financial assistance for teams competing in the second division.

Notably, the concept of a two-tier Test system initially arose from discussions between CA and ECB during the women’s Ashes series in January of the preceding year.

CA has been a prominent proponent of a two-division structure for Test cricket, proposing that the ‘Big Three’ – Australia, England, and India – should engage in matches against each other twice every three years, instead of the current arrangement of two series over four years.