The ICC is considering giving South Africa’s four-day match against Zimbabwe ‘Test’ status.

The match was arranged when India declared they would not be able to play the traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled this year for St George’s Park. Cricket South Africa then invited Zimbabwe to fill the gap and arranged a day-night match over four days, and asked for it to be labelled a Test.

The prospect of four-day Tests has been raised before amid much opposition from traditionalists, and the ICC is understood to be leaning towards giving this match the highest status ‘as a trial’. A decision will be made next month.

Haroon Lorgat , the CEO of Cricket South Africa, is a firm supporter of four-day Tests, believing that with the Test bracket being expanded to 12 countries, now including Ireland and Afghanistan, four-day Test cricket was a good way to integrate the newer teams.

‘We recognise that there is a place for higher-ranked teams to play the lower-ranked teams or even the lower-ranked teams among themselves in four-day Test match cricket,’ Lorgat told ESPNcricinfo. ‘I hope that apart from being a trial, we could have it as a permanent arrangement.’

ICC are apparently considering whether allowing Full Members to decide between themselves whether a Test can comprise four or five days.

Four-day Tests have found favour among many national boards because they would ease the fixture list which is under pressure from the many domestic T20 leagues starting up.