The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has voiced strong opposition to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) proposed overhaul of the World Test Championship (WTC) format, which includes a potential move to a two-tier system from the 2027 cycle onwards.
Although discussions remain ongoing, and no final decision has been taken, the idea has sparked clear divisions among major cricket boards. Cricket Australia (CA) has expressed cautious openness to the proposal, but the ECB is firmly against it, citing significant financial and competitive concerns.
ECB chairman Richard Thompson has argued that the proposed promotion-and-relegation system could lead to England being placed in a lower division, especially during a “fallow period” of poor form. This, he said, could prevent England from playing lucrative and high-profile bilateral series against teams like India and Australia series which are commercially and culturally vital to the English game.
“If we fall into Division Two, and we don’t play Australia and India, that couldn’t happen,” Thompson said on the BBC’s Test Match Special. “There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here.”
The ECB considers those rivalries “far too valuable” to be disrupted by a rigid league system. Thompson warned that relegation could pose serious financial risks to national boards and diminish the global appeal of Test cricket.
While relegation may seem unlikely for a traditionally strong side like England, their recent performances in the WTC have raised legitimate concerns. In the 2019–21 cycle, England finished fourth despite being second in raw points, after the ICC shifted to a points percentage system that favoured India and New Zealand.
In the 2021–23 cycle, England again placed fourth, and in the 2023–25 cycle they slipped to fifth, with just 43.18 percentage points. These results came even as England promoted an aggressive style under the Bazball era, underlining the unpredictable nature of WTC outcomes.
Despite his opposition to the tiered model, Thompson acknowledged the World Test Championship has added context and relevance to the format. He cited South Africa’s title win in the 2023–25 cycle as proof that teams from outside the so-called “Big Three” can succeed with the right backing.
Thompson called for incremental improvements to the current WTC format rather than a sweeping overhaul. He emphasised the need for a more coherent global calendar that balances red-ball and white-ball commitments, especially with new challenges like the 2028 Olympics on the horizon.
In contrast to the ECB’s stance, Cricket Australia has taken a more open-minded position. CEO Todd Greenberg said the two-tier model could help level the playing field by giving lower-ranked teams a chance to compete against sides of similar strength.
“My open mind is in reference to, if it helps grow the opportunities for those other countries to be stronger, and have better resources in Test match cricket then I’m open for it,” Greenberg told ESPNcricinfo. “But if it doesn’t achieve that, and it actually affects the opposite, then I wouldn’t be supportive.”
Greenberg added that the Big Three Australia, England, and India have a duty to support the long-term competitiveness of Test cricket across all Full Member nations. He acknowledged that cricket boards in the West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand could benefit from a structure that offers fairer opportunities and regular fixtures.
The two-tier model is not new. Versions of the idea have been discussed within ICC circles for over 15 years, but consensus has proved elusive. While some nations welcome the idea for its potential to bring competitive parity, many others especially those at risk of relegation oppose it, fearing both financial and reputational damage.
The ICC has appointed a working group led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose to examine possible WTC reforms before the next cycle begins in July 2027. The recent ICC chief executives’ meeting in Singapore revealed a wide range of views, indicating that the road to reform will be anything but straightforward.