ICC ready to back WTC four-day Tests in boost for smaller nations
Shoaib Bashir takes the wicket of Sikandar Raza during the four-day Test between England and Zimbabwe last month.
Shoaib Bashir takes the wicket of Sikandar Raza during the four-day Test between England and Zimbabwe last month. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
The International Cricket Council is ready to sanction four-day Tests in the World Test Championship to help smaller nations to play more games and longer series.
In the next WTC cycle, which begins with Sri Lanka hosting Bangladesh in a two-Test series on Tuesday, only five-day Tests are permitted by the ICC which has led to an emphasis on truncated series.
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Of the 27 Test series to be played among the nine countries contesting the 2025-27 WTC, 19 will feature just two matches, there will be five three-match series and England, Australia and India will all play one five-match Test series against each other.
During discussions last week at the WTC final at Lord's, the ICC chief executive, 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. England, Australia and India would still be permitted to schedule five-Test series 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 ICC first sanctioned four-day Tests for bilateral contests in 2017, with England playing Zimbabwe over four days at Trent Bridge last month after four-day Tests against Ireland in 2019 and 2023, although introducing them for the WTC would be a significant change and could lead to longer series.
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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.
Temba Bavuma's squad travels to India for a two-Test series in November, but will not play a Test at home until October 2026.
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