Only a limited number of teams are likely to be allowed to play Tests after 2027. Experts have called the interference of the three major boards – Australia, England and India – in anti-corruption matters disastrous for the game.
A plan to limit the number of Test teams has emerged. During the ICC meetings, a proposal was made to separate the losing sides from the long format, while consideration is also being given to dividing the teams into 2 divisions.
According to the details, only a limited number of teams are likely to be allowed to play Tests after 2027. Since the first Test match was played between Australia and England in 1877, only 12 countries have been given Test status.
The Test format is considered the most prestigious and prestigious form of cricket, but over time, the popularity of limited-overs cricket has affected this format, due to which the ICC has started considering various proposals to maintain the popularity of this style.
According to the report, the ICC is seriously considering limiting the number of teams playing Tests at the end of the current Futures Tour program in 2027. A proposal to divide Test cricket into two divisions is also being considered, on which a final decision is expected by the end of this year. However, the real issue is which teams will continue to play Test cricket and which teams will be excluded from this pattern.
The main point of the ICC’s new policy is that only those teams that are earning financial income from this format will be able to continue Test cricket. In this context, the “Big Three” teams of India, Australia and England will not face any threat, while New Zealand and Pakistan also appear to be in the safe zone.
Countries like the West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and even South Africa are also facing difficulties.
Hosting Test matches has not been profitable for these boards, but sometimes they have to face losses.
Sources say that interim recommendations compiled by Cricket Australia, the England and Wales Cricket Board, six other boards and the new ICC CEO Sanjeev Gupta will be presented to ICC Chairman Jay Shah at the end of this year. These recommendations could form the basis for selecting teams that will continue to play Test cricket in the future.
