WTC expansion: ICC to consider allowing one-Test series in next cycle

Cricket chiefs will consider allowing one-off Tests to be included in the next cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC), as they look at expanding the Test league to 12 teams.

An ICC working group, led by the former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, is expected to present the recommendation 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. As things stand, 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; Zimbabwe, for example, could schedule one-off Tests against teams on the way to South Africa for a tour.

For England, in a home summer featuring a five-Test series, a one-off Test would allow the possibility of hosting one of the three in a Test with points at stake.

Ultimately, according to one official, the board will 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.

The ICC have been trying to rearrange their last board meeting, which was postponed because of the crisis in West Asia.

That meeting was due to be held in Doha, Qatar but was reduced to limited online interactions. The plan is to hold the rearranged meeting in person, though neither the dates or venue have been finalised. (ESPNcricinfo)