England and Pakistan Eye Rare Five-Match Test Series in Next WTC Cycle

England’s men’s Test schedule is likely to see some big changes, with plans to bring more five-match series at home. One of those could be a long series against Pakistan. At the same time, England may also play more single Test matches when they tour other countries.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to move away from the usual system of equal home and away series in the next World Test Championship cycle, which starts with next summer’s Ashes at home.

The ECB has already spoken to South Africa and Pakistan about the idea of them playing five-Test series in England, something that hasn’t happened for many years.

At the same time, tours to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the future could be cut down to just one Test match. These visits would then include more white-ball games, which bring in more money for the hosting countries.

The ECB’s change in approach is linked to the International Cricket Council’s plan to expand the World Test Championship to include all 12 Test-playing teams. This will also see Ireland and Zimbabwe playing in the same division for the first time.

Another big change is that single Test matches may now also count towards the World Test Championship for the first time. Earlier, a series needed at least two Tests to be included in the competition. Because of this, England may play a Test match in Zimbabwe for the first time since their 1996-97 tour.

The ECB is also in favour of allowing one-off Test matches. They believe this will give smaller teams more chances while also helping them protect and support the longest format of the game.

Research done inside the ECB shows that Test cricket is still the most followed format in England among all age groups. The board now wants to host longer home series more often, similar to Australia and India, who play five-Test tours every four years.

The ECB has also suggested a five-Test tour with South Africa in 2032, and plans to do it again in 2036. If that deal doesn’t go ahead, Pakistan could be brought in as an alternative.

The ICC working group has suggested a new World Test Championship structure where the 12 teams will each play 12 Tests over two years, facing at least eight different opponents during that time. The top two teams will qualify for a final every two years, with Lord’s expected to host the match until 2031.

Importantly, teams won’t be required to play every other side, giving cricket boards more control over their schedules.