ICC Plans to Introduce 4-Day Tests from WTC 2027–29 Cycle; Big Three to Be Exempted - Reports

At the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s last week, ICC Chair Jay Shah showed his support for introducing four-day Test matches during the 2027–2029 cycle. The idea is to help boards like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, making it easier for them to host more matches and slightly longer series without putting too much strain on their time or budgets. With 17 out of 27 series in the current cycle being only two matches long, it’s clear that a more flexible format could be useful.

The ICC is now seriously thinking about making four-day Test matches a regular part of the game, according to The Guardian. This idea isn’t completely new back in 2017, they approved a four-day Test between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Now, there’s a strong chance that these shorter Tests could be added to the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle too. It could be a great way to make things more flexible and exciting, especially for countries outside the “Big 3” — India, Australia, and England.

One of the big benefits is that a full three-Test series could be played in less than three weeks, thanks to longer playing hours 98 overs a day instead of 90. But don’t worry, the big rivalries like the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the new Anderson-Tendulkar series will still stick to the full five-day format.

“During discussions last week at the WTC final at Lord’s, the ICC chair, Jay Shah, is understood to have expressed his support for four-day Tests, to sanction them in time for the 2027-29 WTC cycle. England, Australia, and India would still be permitted to schedule five-Test series of five-day matches for the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,and the newly named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the first iteration of which begins with the first Test between England and India at Headingley on Friday,” The Guardian report stated.

Cost and Scheduling Pressures Push Smaller Nations Away from Five-Day Tests

The article explains, “many smaller nations are reluctant to host Tests due to the time they take out of the schedule and the cost, but a move to four-day cricket would enable an entire three-Test series to be played in less than three weeks.” 

“In four-day Tests, the playing hours are extended to mandate a minimum of 98 overs per day rather than 90 overs to mitigate the time lost. South Africa’s threadbare itinerary, despite being crowned world champions in the thrilling final against Australia at Lord’s last week, has further highlighted the issue, and focused minds on the need for change.” report added. 

There’s a big gap in how often teams play Test cricket. India, England, and Australia get around 18–20 Tests each WTC cycle, but Sri Lanka and Bangladesh only get a few. As Sri Lankan veteran Angelo Mathews put it, “Teams like England, India or Australia are playing 15-plus games a year. Why can’t we play? We can.” Four-day Tests could help fix this – they're shorter, easier to fit into busy schedules, and still give teams quality red-ball cricket. England has already tried them against Zimbabwe and Ireland, and they might also bring in more fans who find five-day games a bit too long.

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