World Test Championship will be staged in 2017: ICC CEO Lorgat

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat announced on Monday that the inaugural World Test Championship will be held in 2017.

Earlier it was expected that the tournament would be staged in 2013, but that possibility has since been ruled out.

"I am afraid that's no longer going to happen in 2013. At the last board meeting we decided that the first opportunity that we can play the World Test Championship is at 2017. So I am disappointed that it is not going to take place sooner,'' informed Mr Lorgat while speaking to the media on the sidelines of the second One-Day International between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai.

The ICC attempted to switch ICC Champions Trophy and tried to host the World Test Championship in 2013 in England.

"It is a reality of the commitments that we have got already through to 2015. We were tempted to switch Champions Trophy to become a Test Championship but that's not going to be possible.

"We attempted to form the World Test Championship which I think would have been a very good context to ensuring the primacy of Test match cricket. But again we will have wait for 2017 to see that as a reality,'' added Mr Lorgat.