The World Test Championship is set to remain a nine-team competition across the 2027-29 and 2029-31 cycles, with the ICC board expected to endorse retaining the current structure. The decision, tied to commercial value concerns, keeps Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan outside the championship despite their full membership status and Test-playing rights.
What the ICC Board Is Set to Decide
The ICC board held an all-day meeting in Bali on November 15, 2026, with the WTC format listed among the principal agenda items. Recommendations presented to the board called for keeping the nine-team structure for both upcoming cycles.
The board was widely expected to back that position. If it does, the championship's format will stay unchanged through 2031, which covers two full two-year cycles.
Key Dates and Cycles at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|
| CSA appeal at ICC Executives' Committee | November 14, 2026 |
| ICC board meeting in Bali | November 15, 2026 |
| Cycles covered by the recommendation | 2027-29 and 2029-31 |
| Length of each cycle | 2 years |
| Number of teams in each cycle | 9 |
The structure covers four years of fixtures in total. Nothing in the recommendations points to a change in team numbers within that window.
Which Teams Are In and Who Stays Excluded
Nine nations are confirmed for the championship: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. All nine have featured since the competition's launch.
Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are full ICC members with the right to play Test cricket. None of them will be part of the WTC under the approved structure.
Membership Breakdown
| Category | Teams | Count | Share of Full Members |
|---|
| Inside the WTC | Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies | 9 | 75% |
| Outside the WTC | Zimbabwe, Ireland, Afghanistan | 3 | 25% |
Nine of the 12 full members, or 75%, will compete for the championship. The remaining quarter will have no route in during the next two cycles.
There is no promotion or relegation pathway for the three excluded sides. Their absence is therefore structural rather than a reflection of on-field performance.
Why the ICC Is Holding the WTC at Nine Teams
Commercial value concerns are cited as the primary driver behind the ICC's preference. The reasoning placed before the board suggests that expansion could reduce the commercial returns the current format generates.
Scheduling is the second factor. Adding nations would complicate how fixtures are distributed across each two-year cycle.
The Bilateral Fixture Model
The WTC runs on bilateral agreements arranged between member boards. League fixtures are spread across each cycle rather than staged as a single event.
Each extra team would add series that need to be negotiated and fitted into an already busy calendar. That is the practical constraint behind the board's reluctance to widen the field.
The Expansion Debate
Cricket South Africa chief executive Pholetsi Moseki made an emphatic appeal for expansion at the ICC Executives' Committee meeting on November 14, 2026. The appeal came a day before the full board convened in Bali.
It appears unlikely to change the outcome. Zimbabwe's interest in joining has been noted, but no concrete route into either of the next two cycles has been confirmed.
What It Means for 2027-31
For the nine participants, the format offers continuity. Teams can plan around a familiar structure, and historical comparisons between cycles will remain like-for-like.
For Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan, the decision means at least four more years without access to the championship. Whether the model is revisited after 2031 will depend on how the board weighs commercial returns against calls for wider participation.