The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has expressed reservations about a possible introduction of a two-tier World Test Championship (WTC), fearing that they might fall into the lower division of a revamped structure.

Despite adopting the ultra-aggressive approach under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, England’s Test team has struggled to produce impressive results. Thus, ECB has opposed the two-tier WTC where England might not be in the same division as Australia or India in case of relegation.

“We wouldn’t want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India? That couldn’t happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here,” ECB chairman Richard Thompson told BBC’s Test Match Special.

India, England, and Australia are often dubbed the “Big Three” of cricket, contesting Test series that span five matches and generate significant revenue. Recent contests like the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the 2023 Ashes highlighted the intensity and drama that these rivalries produce.

However, to make the rest of the competition interesting, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has formed a Working Group, chaired by former New Zealand batsman Roger Twose, to explore ways to enhance the WTC ahead of the 2027-29 cycle. Among the options under consideration is the creation of a two-tier system featuring promotion and relegation.

However, Thompson has called for refining the current WTC format rather than splitting it into divisions. He cited the example of South Africa’s underdog victory in the June WTC final to highlight the competition’s ability to maintain excitement across all teams.

“The World Test Championship could work better than it does. It has definitely improved the narrative, [and] it has created a relevance,” Thompson was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. “Seeing what it meant for South Africa to win – who are crushed by rugby in their own country – and seeing players I know really well, like Graeme Smith, in tears on the outfield, that was a real moment seeing them win. As much as I was critical that they turned up with a ‘B’ team when they played New Zealand [in 2024], it was still good for the game when the underdog wins.”

“But the reality of it is, the World Test Championship, if it was improved upon and certain changes were made, maybe you don’t need two tiers of Test cricket. What you do need is a schedule that makes a lot more sense than it currently does, and that must include the volume of bilateral cricket that you play, white-ball and red-ball, and recognising that from 2028, we have an Olympics."