The proposed expansion and restructuring of the World Test Championship (WTC) is still far from certain. Resistance from a few cricket boards, including the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has cooled discussions around introducing a two-division format. Instead, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is now exploring the possibility of expanding the tournament from nine teams to 12 by bringing in Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe for the 2027-29 cycle.
The ICC has handed former New Zealand cricketer Roger Twose the responsibility of leading a working group tasked with preparing recommendations on the future structure of the WTC.
ICC will discuss about WTC
While the proposals were initially expected to be reviewed during the virtual Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) meeting on May 21, the discussion has now been postponed. The topic is instead likely to come up during the ICC’s in-person board meetings scheduled for May 30 and 31 in Ahmedabad, which will take place around the time of the Indian Premier League 2026 Final.
Along with the proposed expansion, the working group has also suggested a change to the points system by allowing standalone Test matches to count towards the WTC standings. Under the current format, only series consisting of at least two Tests are eligible for WTC points.
Political and Security Tension
The ICC could ultimately decide against both proposals. A key concern is the current situation where Australia, England, and Pakistan are not playing bilateral series against Afghanistan. The reluctance from Australia and England is linked to concerns over governance and human rights issues, while Pakistan’s stance is influenced by ongoing political and security tensions between the two countries.
If Afghanistan were added into the expanded structure, there is a possibility they could end up facing comparatively weaker opponents such as Ireland, Zimbabwe, the West Indies, and Bangladesh more frequently. Critics argue this could create an imbalance in the World Test Championship system, where standings are calculated on a percentage-based points model rather than total points.
In such a setup, teams playing fewer matches against stronger opposition could still end up with better percentages, while sides involved in more competitive and demanding series might be placed at a disadvantage despite performing well. This is why both the expansion plan and the idea of including one-off Tests in the WTC framework could face resistance or even rejection.
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