ICC ready for 4-day test cricket matches from WTC 2027-29; India, Australia, England exempted - Reports

Several smaller nations have avoided hosting test cricket due to costs involved.

According to reports, during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2027–2029 cycle, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will authorize four-day test matches for minor cricketing nations. However, elite sides like England, Australia, and India will play regular five-day test matches.

Last week, in an exciting match at the Lord’s, South Africa, under the leadership of Temba Bavuma, defeated Australia in a memorable triumph to win the ICC WTC 2025 final. The opening test match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium, which got underway on Tuesday, June 17, marked the start of the new WTC cycle.

The Guardian claims that in order to provide smaller countries with greater chances to play longer series, the ICC is thinking of introducing four-day test matches during the WTC 2027–29 cycle. Because of the five-day structure in the 2025–27 cycle, 19 of the 27 scheduled series only include two tests.

India, England and Australia to play 5-match test series amongst themselves

According to the article, ICC Chair Jay Shah expressed support for the four-day format during talks that took place during the last WTC final at the Lord’s. But there will be five days of major series between India, Australia, and England.

“During discussions last week at the WTC final at Lord’s, the ICC chair, Jay Shah, is understood to have expressed his support for four-day Tests, to sanction them in time for the 2027-29 WTC cycle.

England, Australia, and India would still be permitted to schedule five-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,” The Guardian report stated.

4-day tests aimed at easing financial woes for smaller nations of hosting red-ball cricket

In 2017, the ICC authorized four-day test matches for bilateral competitions for the first time. Following four-day test matches against Ireland in 2019 and 2023, England played Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge over four days last month.

According to the article, “many smaller nations are reluctant to host Tests due to the time they take out of the schedule and the cost, but a move to four-day cricket would enable an entire three-Test series to be played 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. South Africa’s threadbare itinerary, despite being crowned world champions in the thrilling final against Australia at Lord’s last week, has further highlighted the issue, and focused minds on the need for change,” the report concluded.

Nonetheless, the current five-day match format will be used during the ICC WTC 2025–27.

19 of the 27 test series between the nine participating nations in the 2025–27 cycle will only consist of two matches, while the remaining six series will consist of three matches each.

India, Australia, and England will each face off against the other in a five-match test series.

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