ICC board to decide 12-team WTC expansion and LA28 qualification route this month

The International Cricket Council is set to take up two structural decisions later this month, with expansion of the World Test Championship to 12 teams and the qualification framework for cricket’s return at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics expected to dominate the board agenda.

The proposals, carried forward after earlier in-person quarterly meetings were disrupted, centre on widening access without splitting Test cricket into a tiered system. The working plan, which has gained support across several boards, is to bring Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe into the next WTC cycle beginning in July 2027, converting the current nine-team competition into a 12-side single division. Resistance to a two-tier model from smaller Full Members, wary of being locked into a lower bracket, has kept the one-table format in front.

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12-team WTC proposal moves ahead

The expanded format would mark the first time all 12 Full Members are included in the championship structure. Alongside the team increase, discussions remain active around the next Future Tours Programme, particularly on setting a minimum Test commitment for every board.

There is also support for more one-off Tests involving emerging nations, a move designed to give stronger sides scheduled visits without the financial weight of long series. The satire of “elite Test cricket” staying elite is therefore being handled through inclusion rather than hierarchy, with the proposed model keeping every Full Member in the same standings ladder.

Olympic route nears formal sign-off

Cricket’s LA28 return, already confirmed as a six-team men’s and women’s T20 event at Pomona, is also close to receiving its formal qualification blueprint. The likely structure allocates places through regional leaders from Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa, with hosts USA occupying the Americas-linked automatic spot.

The final berth is expected to be decided through a global qualifying event in 2027 featuring the next-best ranked teams from across regions. Those recommendations are likely to be ratified before the ICC’s annual conference in Edinburgh, making this board meeting a key checkpoint for both Test cricket’s widening circle and the Olympic pathway that finally gives T20 its global multi-sport stage.