The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly set to announce a major change in the format of Test cricket, with plans to expand the ICC Men’s World Test Championship (WTC) to 12 teams. Alongside that, the governing body is also preparing a proper roadmap for qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
So far, only nine teams have been part of the WTC cycle, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and West Indies. The tournament runs over two years, with each team playing six series, three at home and three away, before the top two teams, based on percentage of points, qualify for the final. The ongoing 2025–27 cycle will continue with these nine teams. However, reports now suggest that there are proposals to expand the WTC to 12 teams in future cycles.
🚨 BIGGEST DECISION BY ICC ON WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIP 🚨
The ICC could approve 12 Teams WTC, including Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland, this month 💥
This expansion to 12 teams would ensure that ZIM, AFG and IRE have a consistent Test schedule 👏pic.twitter.com/1pm86JVsWL
— Ajay Jadeja (@AjayJadeja171) April 9, 2026
The ICC was expected to take major decisions during its first quarterly meeting of 2026, scheduled in Doha from March 25–27. But due to tensions in the Middle East amid the Iran-Israel war, the meeting was disrupted. While officials did hold online meeting, but no official announcements have been made yet.
According to reports, including from the Cricket Financial Journal, a proposal under discussion is to expand the WTC into a 12-team single-division format. This could see Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Ireland added to the current lineup starting from the next cycle in July 2027.
Also Read: PSL 2026: Empty Stands Get New Explanation – Ali Naqvi Says Pakistan Was ‘Busy Driving Global Peace’
Cricket Los Angeles 2028 Qualification Process
At the same time, the ICC is also working on cricket’s return to the Olympics at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The Summer Games will feature six teams in both men’s and women’s events.
The likely qualification format suggests that the top teams from each region, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa, will earn direct spots, with the United States National Cricket Team qualifying for the Olympics 2028 automatically by virtue of being the hosts. However, for the final spot, ICC is expected to decide through a global qualifying tournament, that they will be providing the roadmap for anytime soon.
