In a bid to reduce the number of "meaningless" 50-over and Twenty20 internationals on the calendar, cricket's governing body is looking to introduce a 13-team league where countries would play each other six times in a three-year cycle.

Teams would play on average 24 limited-overs games a year (72 over three years), made up of 12 at home and 12 away. The three-year cycle would start after a world cup with results counting towards qualification for the following cup tournament.

While much work needs to be done before the concept becomes reality, the ICC board has acknowledged the need for more context to limited-overs fixtures and reached consensus over the 13-team format.

An ICC working group is preparing a draft of what the schedule might look like post-2019 before the issue returns to the board in February. This is considered an important step as it will give individual boards a better idea of how it would affect their TV revenue.

So-called "minnow" teams such as Ireland and Afghanistan would benefit from the revamped fixture as it would guarantee them more games against the major nations.

The plan comes at a time when there has been much angst among players questioning the number of one-day series on the calendar.

"Under the structure that is being contemplated, the Australian team will play less cricket," CA chief executive James Sutherland said.

"Other teams will play more cricket, that's a positive as well."

Australia has played 26 ODIs this year against six different teams, including two series involving South Africa in four months. This summer they play New Zealand twice, home and away, as well as a five-game series against Pakistan.

The games will count towards Australia's ODI ranking but cricket authorities feel there is little interest for that among the public. Under the new model, administrators believe [rankings] will take on added significance.

"If you bring in some structure around international cricket and create formats like league-type arrangements you put limits around that – any other cricket that's played outside of that is even more meaningless than other cricket that is played at the moment," Sutherland said.

"Bilateral cricket is in need of structure and context and we believe context is a driver to value with the fans, they will take a greater interest in it.

"It also allows some certainty as to how much cricket is being played, why matches are played.

"Similar structure for T20 cricket and I think that's something that will be really beneficial for world cricket – not just for putting those limits in place but creating third-party interest and relevance and context to every single match," he said.

Sutherland said he supported the latest model presented to the ICC for the Test championship, which would see countries split into two conferences. The winner of each conference over a two-year cycle would play off in a final.

"There is real merit in that, it doesn't significantly undermine the traditional series that are played ... every match would count, every series would count and it'd be keenly sought after the right to play in that final," Sutherland said.

The two-tier Test structure, which involved promotion and relegation, put forward by Australia was scuppered after India said it would be unfair financially on nations dropped to the second division.