The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected India’s proposal to introduce a two-tier format for the World Test Championship (WTC), confirming that all 12 full member nations will continue to compete in a single division in the next cycle.
The two-tier plan, which suggested that India, England, and Australia financially support second-tier teams, failed to gain broad consensus. Concerns were raised by potential second-division teams, including West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, over financial and competitive implications. Leading cricket nations also feared that underperforming teams could face relegation and miss high-profile matches, causing revenue losses.
The ICC’s working group, chaired by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, was tasked with reviewing key issues across all three formats. Last week in Dubai, the group presented its recommendations to the ICC Board and Chief Executives Committee, ultimately endorsing a single-division WTC structure.
The new cycle of the WTC will begin in July 2027, with each team required to play a specified number of Test matches, though the exact schedule is yet to be finalized. While the single-division model preserves competitive equity, no additional funding will be provided, posing challenges for emerging Test nations like Ireland in hosting fixtures.
The decision marks the latest chapter in ongoing debates about WTC formats, which have resurfaced periodically over the past decade but have repeatedly stalled due to the lack of a sustainable financial model.
