Editing Test cricket (section)

===Teams with Test status===
Test status is conferred upon a country or group of countries by the ICC. There are currently twelve men's teams that have been granted this status: international teams that do not have Test status can play [[first-class cricket]] in the [[ICC Intercontinental Cup]], under conditions which are similar to Tests.

The teams with Test status (with the date of each team's Test debut) are:
#{{cr|Australia}} ([[English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1876–77#First Test|15 March 1877]])
#{{cr|England}} ([[English cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1876–77#First Test|15 March 1877]])
#{{cr|South Africa}} ([[English cricket team in South Africa in 1888–89#First Test|12 March 1889]])
#{{cr|West Indies}} ([[West Indian cricket team in England in 1928#First Test, Lord's, 23-26 June 1928|23 June 1928]])
#{{cr|New Zealand}} ([[English cricket team in New Zealand in 1929–30#First Test|10 January 1930]])
#{{cr|India}} ([[Indian cricket team in England in 1932#Test summary|25 June 1932]])
#{{cr|Pakistan}} ([[Pakistani cricket team in India in 1952–53#1st Test|16 October 1952]])
#{{cr|Sri Lanka}} ([[English cricket team in Sri Lanka in 1981–82#Only Test|17 February 1982]])
#{{cr|Zimbabwe}} ([[Indian cricket team in Zimbabwe in 1992–93#Only Test|18 October 1992]])
#{{cr|Bangladesh}} ([[Indian cricket team in Bangladesh in 2000–01#Only Test|10 November 2000]])
#{{cr|Ireland}} ([[Pakistani cricket team in Ireland in 2018#Only Test|11 May 2018]])
#{{cr|Afghanistan|2013}} ([[Afghan cricket team in India in 2018#Only Test|14 June 2018]])

Nine of these teams represent independent sovereign nations:  the England cricket team represents the [[countries of the United Kingdom|constituent countries]] of [[England]] and [[Wales]], the West Indies is a combined team from fifteen Caribbean nations and territories, and Ireland represents both the [[Republic of Ireland]] and [[Northern Ireland]].

Following the [[D'Oliveira affair]] in 1969, [[History of cricket in South Africa from 1970–71 to 1990|South Africa]] was suspended from all forms of cricket from 1970 until the end of the [[Apartheid|apartheid regime]] in [[Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa|1991]].

Zimbabwe's Test status was voluntarily suspended in 2006 because of very poor performances, but its Test status was reinstated in August 2011.<ref>[http://www.voanews.com/zimbabwe/news/Zimbabwe-Cricket-Resume-Test-Play-After-Six-Year-Break-126790218.html Zimbabwe Cricket Side Resume International Test Play After Six-Year Break] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131101339/http://www.voanews.com/zimbabwe/news/Zimbabwe-Cricket-Resume-Test-Play-After-Six-Year-Break-126790218.html |date=31 January 2012 }} – [[Voice of America]].</ref>

The ICC has made several proposals to reform the system of granting Test status, including having two tiers  with [[promotion and relegation]],<ref>{{cite web |date=18 July 2016 |title=NZC 'big supporter' of two-tier Test system, says CEO |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/new-zealand-cricket-big-supporter-of-two-tier-test-system-says-ceo-david-white-1036139 |access-date=10 August 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |archive-date=29 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729212237/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/new-zealand-cricket-big-supporter-of-two-tier-test-system-says-ceo-david-white-1036139 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=4 September 2016 |title=Afghanistan ready to play Tests – ACB chief executive |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/afghanistan-ready-to-play-tests-acb-chief-executive-shafiq-stanikzai-1054077 |access-date=5 September 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |first=Peter |last=Della Penna |archive-date=27 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727070534/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/afghanistan-ready-to-play-tests-acb-chief-executive-shafiq-stanikzai-1054077 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=27 June 2016 |title=BCB vice-president against two-tier Test system |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bcb-vice-president-against-two-tier-test-system-1030121 |first=Mohammad |last=Isam |access-date=10 August 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |archive-date=27 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527105441/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bcb-vice-president-against-two-tier-test-system-1030121 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=31 August 2016 |title=Four-day Tests, two-tier system not the answer – Thakur |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/four-day-tests-two-tier-system-not-the-answer-bcci-president-anurag-thakur-1052477 |access-date=31 August 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |archive-date=29 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729230624/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/four-day-tests-two-tier-system-not-the-answer-bcci-president-anurag-thakur-1052477 |url-status=live |first=Peter |last=Della Penna}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=1 June 2016 |title=ICC planning two Test divisions amid major overhaul |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/icc-planning-two-test-divisions-amid-major-overhaul-1022445 |first=George |last=Dobell |access-date=10 August 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |archive-date=12 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512021542/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/icc-planning-two-test-divisions-amid-major-overhaul-1022445 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=7 September 2016 |title=Two-tier proposal shelved at ICC meeting |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/two-tier-proposal-shelved-at-icc-meeting-1055073 |first=Nagraj |last=Gollapudi |access-date=21 October 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |archive-date=16 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416143041/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/two-tier-proposal-shelved-at-icc-meeting-1055073 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Baseball-style conference structure proposed for Tests |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/baseball-style-conference-structure-proposed-for-tests-1062376 |first=Daniel |last=Brettig |access-date=21 October 2016 |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724132330/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/baseball-style-conference-structure-proposed-for-tests-1062376 |url-status=live}}</ref> or a [[playoffs|play-off]] between the winners of the [[ICC Intercontinental Cup]] and the team with the lowest [[ICC Men's Test Team Rankings|Test ranking]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://live-cricketstreaming.com/ |title=Ireland and Scotland to get Test chance as ICC approves play-off |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=10 April 2014 |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |access-date=10 April 2014 |archive-date=8 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108064249/http://www.live-cricketstreaming.com/ |url-status=usurped}}</ref> These proposals have not been successful as of 2024.