ICC Likely to Introduce Four-Day Test Matches in 2027–29 World Test Championship Cycle

Four-Day Tests: A Game Changer for the World Test Championship and Associate Nations?

Jay Shah, the ICC President also supported for this change. In the current season of the World Test Championship only 19 red ball will have more Test matches while the other matches would play a two match Test series. Many associate nations do not want to host Test matches because of the scheduling issues and the costing problems.

The five days Test matches also reflect on the scheduling issues because it doesn’t allow the countries to play more number of red ball matches in a year. However, the traditional series like the Border Gavaskar Trophy, The Ashes and the newly renamed series on Anderson and Tendulkar will be a five match series and it would be played for five days.

In 2017, the International Cricket Council had approved a series of a four day Test match. England recently played a four day red ball game against Zimbabwe in 2025 and against the Irish Men in 2023 and 2019. In a four day test match, a three match red ball series can be played in three weeks, which also makes it affordable and less time consuming. In four day red ball match 98 overs should be completed which was more than a five day game where only 90 overs are bowled.

South Africa, the recent World Test Championship winner in 2025 at Lords, do not play more red ball matches and despite that they won the WTC 2025 crown. This issue of the Proteas Nation was widely spoken about in the recent meeting of the ICC at Lords in London and many believed that this issue should be addressed.

Only few red ball series in the 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship have more than two match series while the series between India vs England, Australia vs England and India vs Australia are played with a proper five match red ball series and that too home and away. The four day red ball games will benefit nations like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

These three Asian nations struggle to host and play a longer series of the Test matches due to money issues and logistical challenges. The new cycle of 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship cycle has already started with Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka in 2025 for a series of two Test matches.