CAPE TOWN: International cricket chiefs on Tuesday recommended that the World Cup, a gruelling six-week marathon, be slashed from 14 to 10 teams.

They also backed a Test championship to be introduced by 2013.

The meeting of the International Cricket Council`s Chief Executives` Committee (CEC) called for the ICC to introduce league championships for both Test and one-day international cricket in order to introduce context for future tours.

The top four teams in the Test league should qualify for a championship play-off with the first play-off should be staged in 2013.

The chief executives suggested that a one-day league should run from April 2011 until April 2014, culminating in the crowning of a one-day international champion.

The league championship would be separate from the four-yearly World Cup.

The meeting also recommended major changes to the formats of both the World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20.

It was recommended that the number of teams in the World Cup should be reduced from the 14 that will compete in next year`s event to 10, while 16 teams should play in the Twenty20, up from the 12 that competed earlier this year.

There was also a call for a Twenty20 international rankings table.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, who chaired the meeting, said he was excited by the proposals.

"Restructuring international cricket is a significant strategic challenge and one that must be dealt with. I am grateful to the CEC and its working group for making such far-reaching proposals," he said.

BDST: 1739 HRS, SEPTEMBER 15, 2010