ICC’s Two-Tier Test Proposal Meets Resistance from Heavyweights

The International Cricket Council (ICC)’s plans to introduce a two-tier Test cricket structure from the next World Test Championship will apparently not be a straightforward road, after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressed strong reservations over the proposal, warning it could jeopardize cricket’s most commercially valuable rivalries.

The two-tier model was one of the major talking points at the ICC’s annual conference in July and is now being examined by a newly formed working group chaired by NZC board representative Roger Twose. The group is tasked with exploring options to enhance the WTC ahead of the next cycle, which begins in July 2027.

The idea of a two-tiered Test system has been floated for over a decade within the ICC, but has consistently met resistance. The latest iteration has reignited debate across Full Member nations, with many expressing concerns about relegation and its possible impact on both revenue and relevance.

ECB chairman Richard Thompson has now warned of the consequences if traditional heavyweights like England found themselves in the lower tier.

“We may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India? That couldn’t happen,” Thompson told BBC’s Test Match Special. “There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here.”

Thompson admitted the WTC had brought a new layer of meaning to the Test format but insisted improvements were still needed. “The World Test Championship could work better than it does,” he said. “It has definitely improved the narrative. But the reality is, maybe you don’t need two tiers; what you need is a schedule that makes more sense—for both red-ball and white-ball cricket.”

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg, another influential voice in the debate, adopted a more flexible stance, saying that any reform must ultimately strengthen the global Test ecosystem.

“If [a two-tier system] helps grow opportunities for other countries to be stronger in Test cricket, then I’m open to it,” Greenberg told SEN Radio. “But if it weakens them further, I wouldn’t be supportive.”

Greenberg emphasized the collective responsibility of top cricketing nations to support emerging and mid-tier sides such as the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa.

“It’s in our interest to see a strong West Indies, a strong Pakistan. We want those countries to be competitive, but clearly they’re going to need help. They can’t do it alone,” he said.

As preparations begin for the 2027–29 WTC cycle, and with media rights negotiations for 2027–31 looming, clarity on the future structure of Test cricket is becoming increasingly urgent. The ICC’s working group is expected to submit its recommendations in the coming months—recommendations that could shape the format, finances, and fortunes of Test cricket for years to come.