The International Cricket Council (ICC) has created a working group to study, for the first time in its history, the possibility of establishing a two-division Test cricket system. It would be one of the most profound transformations since international competitions in this format began 133 years ago, as explained in The Guardian.

The proposal was approved during the first annual general meeting under the Indian leadership of President Jay Shah and CEO Sanjog Gupta, held in Singapore over the weekend. The working group is composed of eight members and is expected to submit recommendations by the end of the year.

Two divisions of six teams in the future WTC

The idea is to implement the changes in the next cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC), scheduled between 2027 and 2029, moving from the current nine-team format to two divisions of six. Sanjog Gupta, who has just joined the ICC from Indian broadcaster JioStar, will chair this group. Joining him are Richard Gould, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Todd Greenberg, his counterpart at Cricket Australia (CA).

The proposal for divisions arose in discussions between CA and ECB during the Women’s Ashes held in January. CA has actively advocated a model that would allow Australia, England, and India to face each other twice every three years, which would improve visibility and revenue. However, the ECB has expressed doubts about a schedule that would widen the economic gap with the other teams.

President Jay Shah. (Jay Patel/SPP)

The key will be the promotion and relegation system

The presence of Gupta, Gould, and Greenberg suggests that the model has a real chance of succeeding, although it will depend on how the details are defined. The measure needs the support of at least two-thirds of the twelve full members of the ICC.

One of the biggest challenges will be to define a promotion and relegation system that prevents smaller teams from being marginalized. Additional financial support is also being considered for countries starting in the second division, which could include Ireland, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, recent additions to the WTC, along with Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and the West Indies.

England to host the next three WTC finals

The ICC confirmed in Singapore that England will host the next three WTC finals, continuing a tradition that began in 2021. The last final was held at Lord’s, where South Africa was crowned champion for the first time after defeating defending champion Australia.

At the same time, the possibility of launching a new Champions League or T20 Club World Cup was discussed, with franchises from the Indian Premier League (IPL), The Hundred, and Australia’s Big Bash. Although no proposal was formalized, it is considered a medium-term project.

The ICC is considering reviving a T20 Champions League

An earlier version of the T20 tournament was launched in 2008 by the BCCI, CA, and Cricket South Africa, but it was canceled in 2014 after the main operator, ESPN Star, defaulted on payments. The ICC remains interested in leading a new global edition, although cross-ownership between franchises complicates the initiative.

Several IPL team owners have stakes in international tournaments such as SA20, Major League Cricket, and the UAE’s ILT20, as well as being in the process of buying teams in the Hundred. This raises questions about which jersey players who play for multiple teams per year would wear. The most likely date to launch this global tournament would be 2027, coinciding with the end of the ICC’s current $3 billion television contract with Disney Star.