WELLINGTON - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given the green light to a test championship and one-day international league, while countries are also welcome to experiment with four-day tests, the world governing body said on Friday.

A test championship has long been mooted as a means to make the longest form of the game more relevant for fans who have increasingly turned towards limited-overs matches.

ICC Chief Executive Dave Richardson told reporters in Auckland on Friday that while details still needed to be worked out, the test championship would commence after the 2019 World Cup and culminate with a final in mid-2021.

A 13-team ODI league would be introduced from 2021 and determine which teams qualify for the World Cup two years later, he added.



(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Peter Rutherford) ((greg.stutchbury@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: greg.stutchbury.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; +64 4 802 7982;))