Since the ICC launched the World Test Championship, the competition has featured nine participating nations. Across the first three editions, three different teams: New Zealand, Australia, and most recently South Africa, have gone on to claim the Test mace. India, meanwhile, came close on two occasions, finishing second in both the inaugural and the following edition.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially put an end to speculation about introducing a two-tier World Test Championship, on November 11, stating that the 2027 cycle will instead feature a single league with all 12 Test-playing nations. This will mark a significant expansion from the current nine-team format, bringing Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Ireland into the cycle for the first time.
3 New Teams Included in WTC 2025-27
Beginning with the upcoming cycle, the ICC World Test Championship will include all 12 Full Member nations. According to the sources, a committee headed by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose presented its proposals to both the ICC Board and the Chief Executives’ Committee during the board meetings in Dubai last week. As a result, Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe will join the competition for the first time.
Reports had earlier suggested that the ICC was considering splitting the competition into divisions, with powerhouses such as India, Australia, and England in the top group, and teams like West Indies and Pakistan in a lower tier. This model had various flaws in its structure, financial imbalance, and reduced visibility for lower-ranked sides.
The participating nations would be required to meet a minimum Test-match quota in each WTC cycle. It also noted that teams such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies, who would have been placed in a lower division under the earlier proposal, opposed the concept, as it would likely reduce their opportunities to face the top-ranked sides.
Based on the current rankings, India would have been in the top tier while Pakistan would have started in tier 2, meaning the two arch-rivals would have been kept apart in the standings unless a promotion or relegation were to change their positions. This scenario has been widely discussed in cricket news, especially since India and Pakistan have yet to face each other in any World Test Championship matchup. Despite that, a meeting in a future WTC final remains possible. Remarkably, the two nations have not played a Test match against one another since 2007.
By opting for a uniform structure, the ICC has chosen inclusivity. In addition, the governing body is exploring the revival of the ODI Super League beginning in 2028.
ODI Super League to Return in 2028?
In a notable shift for the 50-over format, the ICC is preparing to bring back the ODI Super League, aiming to attract more crowds in one-day international cricket. The league, which debuted in 2020, was called off following the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, but plans are now in motion for its return in 2028.
Details such as the number of competing teams are not disclosed yet, but the development has quickly become a talking point across the latest cricket news among the fans and analysts.
“The Super League could help revitalise the 50-over format. Maybe the problem is not that the format is necessarily dead, it’s finding the proper structure,” an administrator said.
Will the Number of Teams in ICC World Cups Increase?
According to the latest cricket update, the ICC has confirmed that the lineup for both the Men’s Cricket World Cup and the Men’s T20 World Cup will not see any immediate expansion in the near future. The last two editions of the 50-over World Cup featured 10 teams, and the 2027 tournament will see 14 sides competing for the title.
For the T20 format, the 2026 Men’s World Cup will feature 20 teams, with the ICC ultimately aiming to expand the competition to 32 participants in future editions. In a related development, the ICC has also decided not to grant official format status to T10 cricket.
