International cricket appears on the verge of a long awaited overhaul, with the Test and 50-over formats to be divided into leagues to add greater context.
The International Cricket Council's chief executives committee has reached consensus on a way it believes will bring greater clarity to the two formats from 2019 – although, for Tests, it's not in a two-division conference which several countries had initially favoured.
More Sports HQ Videos
Is this the greatest catch in cricket history?
15 years ago today, Mayu Pasupati pulled in an unfathomably brilliant catch at the Basin Reserve, etching his name into New Zealand cricket folklore.
The plan for Test cricket is now a 9-3 system to be run over a two-year period. Full details have yet to be confirmed, with one day remaining at the Dubai-based conference. Any plan is likely to need approval at the ICC board meeting in April.
As it stands, the plan is for the top nine member Test countries to play each other over a two-year period, with points at stake and the top two clashing in a final. The three lower-ranked teams – that being Zimbabwe and, should they earn secondary Test status, Ireland and Afghanistan – will play each other over a two-year period, with a view that each of the nine top teams should play at least one of the bottom three nations.
Ireland's domestic system has been granted first-class status, and Afghanistan's in the pipeline, meaning those countries are favoured to be granted Test status, although that is unlikely to be full-member status.
A series could feature just one Test. Nations which did not meet would forfeit points.
It was reported on Saturday that the ICC had regained control of the future tours program, and the major nations – Australia, England and India – wouldn't have the final say in scheduling of the championship system when the current FTP expires in 2019.
However, the nations would still have the power to schedule bilateral series outside of the championship. Regardless, it's unlikely icon series such as the Ashes and the battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be affected.
![Changes coming: A radical overhaul of Test and one-day cricket has been agreed.](/web/20170204124927im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/n/l/h/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu5flk.png/1486182120262.jpg)
It's also emerged the nations are in favour of a three-year, 13-team one-day international league to determine qualification for the World Cup.
The proposal is for a minimum of 12 one-day internationals annually for each nation.
Just how these plans fit around the expanding domestic Twenty20 competitions, such as the Big Bash League, will also need to be explained, along with plans to pool television broadcast rights.
Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland has been at the forefront of the push to add greater context to the Test and one-day international formats, but has struggled to get support from the Asian nations.
"We certainly believe additional structure, moving towards a Test championship of one form or another, probably on a two-year cycle would be a real positive," Sutherland said in October.
"With one-day and T20 cricket we are contemplating a 13-team league where everyone plays each other, home or away, in a three-match series over the course of a three-year period.
"That means you play six one-day matches away and six at home every year with a similar structure for T20.
"That's something that would be really beneficial for world cricket, not just for putting those limits in place but making sure there's real context and relevance to every match."
There are also plans for qualification events for the World T20, with discussions ongoing about whether to add a World T20 in 2018 after the success of last year's event in India. Australia will host the World T20 in 2020.