"I don't think people have quite cottoned on to how significant this is," Sutherland said on Sunday. "Context is one thing but you're also creating structure in such a way that you no longer have games without meaning. They are all part of a league championship. There is a story, there is a narrative behind it all.

"It's part of a multi-lateral championship that everyone is a part of. Not only is there context for the two teams in a series, but the good thing is there [is] an extra third-party interest. For other countries it means something for them as well because the result could determine where they end up."

Under the proposal, nations would play three Test series at home and three away over the two years of the championship, while in the ODI league there are two series home and away each year.

Fairfax Media can reveal the points system discussed for the Test championship would see 100 points on offer for every series. Sixty points would go to the winner of the series – split if it is drawn – and the remaining 40 points would be allocated based on the results of the individual matches. In that way, Australia and England could, for instance, continue to play the Ashes over five Tests and other shorter series would still hold the same overall value. Timing constraints mean countries will not play every other team in the one cycle but the plan is for the ICC to assist in ensuring nations are not unfairly placed when it comes to their schedule of opponents.

While Lord's is regarded as the obvious venue to host the Test championship final an ultimate ambition for some is to have the top-placed nation over the two years host the country that finishes second on points. However, the seasonal nature of the sport in both hemispheres and the complications of scheduling will make that a challenging task.