New Delhi [India], November 15 : The World Test Championship (WTC) is likely to retain its nine-team format for the next two cycles, running through to 2031, despite growing calls for an expansion of the competition.
The issue is expected to feature prominently at the ICC board's day-long meeting in Bali on Sunday, where members will deliberate on the long-standing proposal. However, the board is anticipated to approve the ICC's recommendation to continue with the existing nine-team format for the 2027-29 and 2029-31 cycles, Cricinfo reported. 
The World Test Championship is currently nearing the end of its fourth cycle, with its format having been the subject of extensive discussions in recent years, including a proposal to introduce a two-tier league system.
Meanwhile, a proposal to expand the WTC to include all 12 Full Members in a single division had gained momentum over the past year. The recommendation, put forward by an ICC working group led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, received strong backing from Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan, the three Full Member nations currently excluded from the competition.
However, concerns remain among several ICC members over whether expanding the competition would generate additional commercial value. Since the WTC is primarily organised and scheduled through bilateral arrangements between member boards, with the ICC responsible only for conducting the final, the governing body appears inclined to retain the existing format for the time being.
The issue also sparked intense discussions ahead of Sunday's board meeting, with the Chief Executives' Committee holding a meeting that lasted more than four hours on Saturday.
Representatives from the three excluded Full Members - Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan - made strong appeals for their inclusion, arguing that the absence of WTC participation is hindering the development of their Test cricket programmes. They also expressed concerns over the lack of a promotion-relegation system, which leaves them with no clear pathway to break into the competition's top nine teams.
Cricket South Africa was also understood to be a strong supporter of expanding the World Test Championship, with its chief executive, Pholetsi Moseki, reportedly making an emphatic appeal in favour of the proposal during Saturday's Chief Executives' Committee meeting. However, the positions of the BCCI and Cricket Australia on the matter remain unclear. 
Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is believed to have reservations about expanding the competition, citing the potential travel and financial implications, despite England having played one-off Tests against Zimbabwe and Ireland in recent years.
The ECB and Zimbabwe Cricket are also in the process of finalising England's historic tour of Zimbabwe, which would mark the team's first visit to the country in three decades. Originally scheduled for 2028, the tour is now expected to take place in 2030 and is set to feature a Test match at the iconic Victoria Falls.
Sunday's ICC board meeting is expected to be a final opportunity for supporters of an expanded World Test Championship to push their proposal, although they are preparing for a likely setback. A possible compromise could involve increasing the competition to 10 teams, particularly given Zimbabwe's strong interest in playing more Test cricket. The African nation featured in 10 Test matches in 2025, compared to just two so far this year.
Meanwhile, the ICC board will also be presented with a strategic review examining the future of international cricket, including the sustainability and relevance of its three official formats. Global management consulting firm McKinsey, which was commissioned to conduct the review, delivered a presentation in Bali on Saturday night ahead of Sunday's board meeting.