The future of the World Test Championship to be held in in England in 2017 is in doubt and the tournament is expected to be shelved off quietly by the end of the month.
Lukewarm response from sponsors and broadcasters and the uncertainty which surrounds the format may be behind the decision to scrap the tournament.
It will be the second - and probably last - time that the idea of a play-off between the top teams in the International Cricket Council's world Test rankings will be been shelved.
That could mean another reprieve for the ICC Champions Trophy, the one-day tournament that has been staged seven times since 1998, The Guardian reports.
The World Test Championship was originally scheduled to be held for the first time in 2013, but was postponed due to the reservations of broadcasters.
The ICC had hoped it would replace the Champions Trophy but was unable to reach an agreement and the 50-over tournament was staged in the UK, with some success, instead.
Officials from the ICC and national governing bodies such as the England and Wales Cricket Board remain keen to enhance the standing and significance of Test cricket via the rankings, and are likely to do so by increasing financial incentives.
