ICC Considering Massive Step to Revive Test Cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) met from July 17 to 20 for the Annual Conference in Singapore. Led by the governing body's Chairman Jay Shah, there were several topics for discussion. Mr Gurumurthy Palani (France Cricket), Mr Anuraag Bhatnagar (Cricket Hong Kong, China), and Mr Gurdeep Klair (Cricket Canada) were elected to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) as Associate Member representatives. Apart from this, there was one crucial decision that was taken regarding the two-division Test cricket for the first time.

The governing body appointed an eight-member ­working party under Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta to check the possibilities regarding the two-tier system. This will be a massive change in Test cricket if it's implemented. The members will have to conduct thorough research on the topic, speak with different board members, and then present a report to ICC by the end of this year. Post that, a decision will be taken, considering the opinions of everyone.

What is Two Division Test Cricket Concept?

The two-division first emerged in January 2025 during the Women's Ashes, when Cricket Australia urged the governing body to take action regarding it. As per the two division concept in Test cricket, the Big Three teams like India, Australia, and England will get to play against each other twice in every three years. Currently, the big three play two series in four years. This will be quite beneficial for the boards, as well as for the broadcasters. Even the ECB extended its support towards the two-division concept as it will boost its financial conditions and allow it to face India and Australia more.

This means that the ICC will have to form two groups in Test cricket: one in which India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Australia will form a group as per the current rankings, while the other group will have Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, ­Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe.

As per reports, there are high chances of the adoption of this concept, as many boards are interested in this. This significant change will require the support of a two‑thirds majority of the ICC’s 12 full ­members. Well, the biggest challenge for the Board will be to keep its undivided focus on both the groups, keeping in mind the profit of the smaller nations. CEO Sanjog Gupta will have around five months to report to the governing body regarding the two-division Test match.

Who will Host WTC Next WTC Final?

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to award the hosting rights to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the ICC World Test Championship Finals for the 2027, 2029, and 2031 editions. The decision was taken keeping the previous three editions in mind, which happened successfully.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had expressed its interest in hosting the WTC finals in India. However, the governing body had different plans altogether. While England's weather during the WTC finals has always been under scrutiny, the matches ended up successfully leaving no room for other boards to host it.
The main reason behind keeping England as the host is the fan following for the red-ball format. During the WTC 2023-25 finals, the stadium was filled with spectators to watch two different teams clash against each other. Moreover, the atmosphere was quite magnetic for the players as well. Hence, the ICC decided to keep the hosting rights with England for the time being. Until now, England haven't played any WTC finals, so it becomes a neutral ground for the other finalists.