England could play seven home Tests in 2027, the highest number in a summer since 2022, under plans being considered by the England & Wales Cricket Board.
The ECB is considering its home schedule for 2027 and what Test programme should be played before the five-match Ashes series. In 2019 and 2023, the last two home Ashes summers, England played a one-off Test against Ireland before the series.
But England are now poised instead to play a two-match series against opponents before the next Ashes. The opponents have yet to be finalised, with Sri Lanka and the West Indies two prime candidates. Both teams would be expected to be more competitive than Ireland in 2023, who were thrashed by 10 wickets at Lord’s.
Any decision about whether England will schedule seven home Test matches is interconnected with discussions about the 2027 World Test Championship final. England hosted the 2021 and 2023 finals, and will also stage this year’s final, which is between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s next month.
But there is a strong desire in India to host the 2027 final, and a feeling among many global administrators that it cannot always be held in England. Should the 2027 final be played in India, it could take place in late March, which would free up space in the English summer for an extra Test.
The ECB remains keen to host the World Test Championship final and many see it as the ideal location, given its climate and timezone are best suited to the June slot it has occupied in its first three cycles. And, as strong sales for the Lord’s final between Australia and South Africa suggest, perhaps the only market that would fill grounds for neutral games between any opponents.
England staged seven Test matches a summer for the bulk of the 2000-18 period. Seven home Tests were also scheduled for 2021, but India withdrew from the final Test – which was instead staged in 2022, ensuring that England played seven home Tests that year instead. But in the current Future Tours Programme, which covers the 2023-26 summers, England are playing only six home Tests each season.
Reintroducing seven-match home summers would be a strong indication of England’s commitment to the Test game at a time when the format is under threat.
Scheduling an extra Test in 2027 could also bring an extra high-profile game to a northern venue that summer. There has been widespread criticism – including from Test captain Ben Stokes – at the lack of any northern venues for the Ashes series in 2027. The five venues that have been awarded Tests against Australia that summer are Edgbaston, Lord’s, Trent Bridge, the Utilita Bowl and The Oval.
Playing a two-match series prior to the 2027 Ashes could also have significant consequences for the World Test Championship. England have not reached the final in any of the three editions of the tournament.
Some prominent figures in the ECB believe the current World Test Championship is unfair, with England penalised for playing five-match series against both Australia and India in every cycle of the competition.
Conversely, South Africa qualified for this year’s final after not facing either Australia or England in the 2023-25 cycle. Under the current terms of the World Test Championship, each country plays three series at home and away over the cycle, with the two teams who acquire the highest percentage of points contested reaching the final.
If England played a two-match home series in 2027, they would play four multi-match series at home over the 2027-29 cycle. One of these would therefore not be part of the World Test Championship.
The 2027 Ashes could thus potentially not count towards the 2027-29 cycle, with Australia potentially being one of the two opponents that England did not meet in Test Championship clashes during that campaign. While interest in the series would not be undermined by its exclusion from the World Test Championship schedule, under this scenario England’s chances of reaching the final would be likely to increase.
Occasionally scheduling Ashes series outside the World Test Championship framework could potentially ensure a more equitable set of opponents among the nine competing sides. While discussions around the future of the Test Championship are continuing, the competition seems certain to remain in some form. (Telegraph)
