The International Cricket Council (ICC) is planning a major change to Test cricket. According to reports, the ICC is getting ready to introduce 4-day Test matches from the 2027-29 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. However, India, Australia, and England will be allowed to continue playing traditional 5-day Tests.
The idea behind this move is to help smaller cricket-playing nations. Many of these countries find it hard to host long Test series due to tight schedules and high expenses. A four-day format could allow tem to play more matches in a shorter time and attract more interest in Test cricket. The ICC believes this can help increase the number of Tests played by smaller teams and give them a better chance to improve.
According to a report in The Guardian, ICC chairman Jay Shah is believed to have supported this change during discussions held at Lord’s last week during the WTC Final. The aim is to approve the 4-day format in time for the 2027-29 cycle.
At the same time, big cricketing nations like India, England, and Australia will still play 5-day matches in high-profile series like the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the newly named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. In fact, the first match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be played between India and England at Headingley this Friday.
It’s important to note that this isn’t the first time the ICC has approved 4-day Tests. The concept was introduced in 2017, and England has already played such matches against Ireland and Zimbabwe. In 4-day games, the number of overs per day is increased from 90 to 98 to make up for the reduced duration.
One of the key reasons for this change is the financial burden faced by smaller boards. It takes a lot of money and time to organise long Test series. For instance, South Africa’s busy and thin cricket schedule, despite winning the WTC final recently, shows the need for a new approach.
As of now, the current 2025-27 WTC cycle will continue with the traditional 5-day format. This cycle kicks off with a two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Out of the 27 series planned in this cycle, 17 will only have two matches, and six will be three-Test series. Only England, Australia, and India will play full five-match Test series among each other.
This shift in thinking by the ICC shows a clear attempt to balance tradition with practicality. It also hopes to keep the longer format of cricket alive, while making it more manageable for smaller countries.
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