ICC signals support for four-day Tests in World Championship

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly open to incorporating four-day Test matches into the World Test Championship (WTC), a significant departure from the traditional five-day format. 

The move aims to provide smaller cricketing nations with more opportunities to play matches and series within the championship, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

This development follows South Africa's recent triumph in the World Test Championship final at Lord's, where they secured a five-wicket victory over Australia. 

This win marked a historic moment for the Proteas, ending a decades-long wait for a major global cricket trophy and securing their first since the 1998 men’s Champions Trophy (then known as the Knockout Trophy). 

Before this, South Africa had only reached one final in 18 attempts across one-day international and T20 World Cups.

Meanwhile, with regard to the future of the WTC, whose next cycle will commence via a two-Test series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the ICC has retained the five-day format.

A total of 27 Test series are scheduled between nine teams competing in the WTC 2025-27, 17 will have only two matches, and three will be six three-match series.

However, England, Australia and India will all play one five-match Test series against each other.

Discussions were held last week at the WTC final at Lord's where ICC Chairman Jay Shah supported four-day Tests which could be sanctioned in time for the WTC 2027-29 cycle.

The publication further reported that England, Australia and India — if the four-day Tests are implemented — would still be able to play five Test series of five-day Tests for the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the newly named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

It is pertinent to know that the cricketing body had previously approved four-day Tests for bilateral series back in 2017 which saw England going up against Ireland in four-day fixtures in 2019 and 2023. Last month England also took on Zimbabwe in a four-day red-ball game.

The ICC's openness for four-day games is to be taken against the backdrop that smaller playing countries hesitate in hosting Tests, firstly due to the costs and secondly due to the extra time it takes out of their schedule.

However, a four-day Test will allow such teams to play a three-match series in less than three weeks — coupled with the fact that in four-day fixtures playing hours are extended to 98 overs per day instead of the traditional 90 overs in five-day Tests.