Credit: ICC
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly geared up to back four-day Tests from smaller nations in the 2027-29 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. However, India, Australia, and England will continue playing five-day games. Last month, England and Zimbabwe played against each other in a four-day Test match at Trent Bridge. With the four-day Test move, ICC is looking to enhance the confidence of smaller nations to play more Tests. As per a report from the British newspaper The Guardian, "During discussions last week at the WTC final at Lord's, the ICC Chairman, Jay Shah, is understood to have expressed his support for four-day Tests, with a view to sanctioning them in time for the 2027-29 WTC cycle."
The report also added “England, Australia and India would still be permitted to schedule five-match Test series of five-day matches for the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the newly named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the first iteration of which begins with the first Test between England and India at Headingley on Friday."
Smaller nations unwilling to host four-day matches
The report from The Guardian has also asserted that small nations are unwilling to host conventional five-day games due to the time they take out of the fixtures and the cost. However, a move to four-day matches would enable a whole three- match Test series to be concluded in less than three weeks.
"In four-day Tests the playing hours are extended to mandate a minimum of 98 overs per day rather than 90 overs to mitigate the time lost," added The Guardian report. Amidst these developments, the WTC 2025-27 cycle has begun with Sri Lanka hosting Bangladesh for the first Test in Galle. However, eyes will be set on the much-awaited England versus India Test series which will be played from June 20 to August 4.
