The ICC Members Board on Friday gave the green light to a nine-team Test league and a 13-team ODI league. The aim is to bring context and meaning to bilateral cricket. The leagues will start in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
The Test series league will see nine teams play six series over two years – three home and three away. Each team will have a minimum of two Tests and a maximum of five. All matches will be played over five days culminating in a World Test League Championship Final.
The ODI league will be a direct qualification pathway towards the ICC Cricket World Cup. It will be contested by the 12 Full Members plus the winners of the current ICC World Cricket League Championship.
ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar congratulated the members for coming to agreement on bilateral cricket series.
“I would like to congratulate our Members on reaching this agreement and putting the interests of the development of the game first. Bringing context to bilateral cricket is not a new challenge, but this is the first time a genuine solution has been agreed on,” Manohar said.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said that The approval of both leagues is the conclusion of two years of work from the Members who have explored a whole range of options to bring context to every game.
“Our priority was to develop an international cricket structure that gave context and meaning across international cricket and particularly in the Test arena. This has been delivered and every Test in the new League will be a five-day Test format,” Richardson said.
A number of decisions around event hosts were taken by the ICC Board in Auckland. The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier will be held in Zimbabwe in March 2018.
Watch More: David Richardson explains new format of Test & ODI Leagues
