The World Test Championship is set to stay a nine-team competition for its next cycle, with the ICC unlikely to expand it to all 12 Full Members despite a year of debate. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the plan to add Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe to the 2027-29 cycle has lost momentum, and the next cycle will likely retain the existing format — although there remains a possibility that Zimbabwe join as a 10th team.
The expansion proposal had gained traction after a working group led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose recommended a 12-team championship to the ICC Board and the Chief Executives’ Committee at last week’s quarterly meetings in Dubai. The group also recommended scrapping the proposed two-tier system, an idea that had collapsed after the ICC could not agree on a funding model. The two-tier idea would have placed India, Australia and England in a top division, with the other teams below. But the latest report says the 12-team plan is now unlikely to be approved in Bali this week.
The England and Wales Cricket Board is understood to be the first board to oppose expansion, arguing that more matches would mean extra overseas travel and a smaller home international schedule. There are also question marks over Ireland’s appetite for more Test cricket, given the financial strain of hosting the format, while Zimbabwe — keen to join after playing 10 Tests in 2025 but only two this year — are seen as the most likely addition if the competition grows to 10 teams. England are set to tour Zimbabwe in 2028, a visit that could include at least one Test.
The current championship, the fourth cycle since the competition began in 2019, features nine teams playing over two years, with the top two meeting in the final. South Africa are the defending champions, having beaten Australia in the 2025 final at Lord’s. The 2025-27 cycle is under way, and the next cycle is due to start in July 2027. Under the earlier proposal, each team would have been required to play a minimum number of Tests, with no extra funding for hosting matches — a condition that weighed heavily on the smaller boards.
The future of the championship is one of several big items on the agenda at the ICC’s quarterly meetings in Bali, which began on Wednesday and conclude on Sunday. Also up for discussion are the next Future Tours Programme for 2027-31 and a strategic review of all three formats by McKinsey. For now, though, the message from Bali is clear: the nine-team World Test Championship is here to stay, with only Zimbabwe holding a realistic hope of joining.
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