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In a significant move to make Test cricket more accessible and financially viable for smaller nations, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is preparing to allow four-day Tests in the World Test Championship (WTC) starting with the 2027–2029 cycle.
The idea behind the reform is to help lower-ranked teams play more Tests and potentially extend series lengths — all while reducing hosting costs and logistical burdens. The change would mark the first time four-day Tests are permitted in the WTC structure, though the ICC had previously allowed them for bilateral series beginning in 2017.
However, according to a report by The Guardian’s Matt Hughes, traditional five-day Tests will remain in place for series involving England, India, and Australia, allowing the Big Three to preserve the sport’s historic format for key rivalries. Thus the sport’s most commercially successful rivalries — such as the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the newly renamed Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy — will remain exempt from the change.
Jay Shah backs reform push at WTC final
The proposal comes amid growing concern that Test cricket’s current structure discourages participation from smaller or less financially robust nations. Shortening matches to four days could open the door for three-Test series to be played in under three weeks — a critical consideration for boards facing resource constraints.
During internal conversations at the recent WTC final at Lord’s, ICC Chair Jay Shah is understood to have expressed support for introducing four-day Tests into the WTC beginning in 2027, according to The Guardian, signaling a formal endorsement of the idea at the highest level.
This development marks a turning point for the ICC, which had first sanctioned four-day Tests in bilateral contexts back in 2017. England, notably, played Zimbabwe over four days at Trent Bridge last month, having previously trialed the format against Ireland in 2019 and 2023. The new proposal would extend the shorter format into the WTC structure itself for the first time.
A format tailored for broader participation
The revised four-day format would include extended playing hours, with a minimum of 98 overs per day, compared to the 90-over standard in five-day matches. This adjustment is intended to compensate for the lost day while maintaining competitive integrity.
The move could particularly benefit nations like Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland — as well as help boards reluctant to schedule Tests due to cost, attendance, and limited broadcast revenue. In some cases, such boards have preferred shorter limited-overs series, further accelerating the marginalization of Test cricket outside the sport’s traditional powers.
South Africa’s limited schedule underscores the need
The issue has been brought into sharper focus by South Africa’s sparse Test calendar, despite the team being crowned WTC champions after their win against Australia at Lord’s. Their schedule exemplifies the structural imbalance in Test cricket — one that four-day Tests could help address.
Preserving the traditions of the Big Three
While most WTC fixtures may shift to four days, long-standing rivalries involving England, Australia, and India will retain their five-day status — allowing the ICC to modernize the format without sacrificing commercial or historical prestige.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which debuts this week with England hosting India at Headingley, will be among those series that continue as five-day contests. So too will the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Looking ahead
The current WTC cycle (2025–2027) will continue under existing regulations, with all matches played over five days. This cycle begins with Sri Lanka hosting Bangladesh in a two-Test series this week. Of the 27 WTC series scheduled, 17 will consist of just two matches, with only six three-match series and three five-match series — each involving the Big Three.
If approved, the 2027–2029 WTC could see the most significant change to Test match structure in over a century, as the ICC seeks to balance tradition with broader participation and sustainability across the cricketing world.
