Reports: ICC ready to have four-day Test matches for ‘smaller’ teams, Big ‘Three’ to continue playing five-day Test matches

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly ready to have four-day Test matches for smaller teams from the 2027-29 cycle. Some reports have claimed that the discussions during the WTC 2025 final led to the ICC President agreeing to the move.

However, major teams like India, England, and Australia could continue to play five-day Test matches of 5 days with each other. Notably, three major series like The Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the newly renamed Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy are likely to have a series of five matches, with all of them being played for as many days. The move could be materialized, as small teams are reluctant to play Test matches of 5 days.

“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, with a view to sanctioning them in time for the 2027-29 WTC cycle,” a report from the Guardian claimed.

“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 report added.

Will 4-day Tests bring change in total number of overs played in a day?

It is claimed that reducing a day in every Test match could help the smaller teams to host more matches, potentially from a series of 2 Tests to 3, in the same time period. In the new reported rule, a day in a Test match might now be increased to 98 overs from the existing 90 overs.

“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,” the report further claimed.

New Zealand and South Africa, who have the World Test Championship Final wins to their name, are amongst the teams that are reluctant to play more Tests. Hence, there is a need to decrease the number of days of a Test match and increase the number of Test matches in a series.

“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 focussed minds on the need for change,” the report concluded.

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