In a major development, The International Cricket Council has approved the much awaited Test Championship and ODI League on Friday in Auckland, after ICC’s governing body’s meeting.
The Test series league will see nine teams play six series over two years – three home and three away, while the ODI league will be a direct qualification pathway towards the ICC Cricket World Cup and will be contested by the 12 Full Members plus the winners of the current ICC World Cricket League Championship.
The ODI league will be played out between the top 13 ranked teams and start in 2020-21. It will run for two years leading into the 2023 World Cup before transforming into a three-year league beyond that. During that time period, each competing team will play in eight series with each one being played over three matches.
“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” ICC chairman Shashank Manohar told.
“This means fans around the world can enjoy international cricket knowing every game counts and in the case of the ODI league, it counts towards qualification to the ICC Cricket World Cup” he added further.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “This is a significant point in time for ICC Members and our collective desire to secure a vibrant future for international bilateral cricket. 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.
