ICC reveals schedule of Test championship

Dubai, June 20 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled details of a revamped match schedule on Wednesday which will underpin its inaugural World Test Championship starting next year. The long-awaited Championship, involving the nine top-ranked Test nations competing in a league between July 15, 2019 to April 30, 2021, has been designed to give more meaning to Test series for cricket fans.

The revamped Future Tours Programme (FTP), starting with the Ashes series in England next year, will see teams play three home and away series over a two-year cycle. The top two teams will then progress to a June 2021 final.

The ICC also announced the creation of a 13-team One-day International (ODI) league. It will be made up of the 12 Test-playing nations, along with the Netherlands, the winners of the World Cricket League Championship. The ODI league will serve as a qualification pathway for the 2023 World Cup. Hosts India and the seven highest-ranked sides in the league on March 31, 2022, qualify directly for the World Cup. The bottom five teams will compete for two remaining spots. 

India to tour West Indies for their WTC opener    

India will travel to the West Indies for their opening series in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC).  India will play a two-Test series in the Caribbean as part of the WTC, the ICC said in a statement. The West Indies series will take place right after the 2019 ODI World Cup and the tour will also comprise three ODIs and as many T20s. — Agencies