Dean Elgar. Photo by Christiaan Kotze/AFP via Getty Images

The ICC World Test Championship 2021-2023: All you need to know

The ICC World Test Championship 2021-2023 is a two-year competition that seeks to crown an undisputed champion of the game’s ultimate format.

by James Richardson

04-08-2021 17:32

in International

Dean Elgar. Photo by Christiaan Kotze/AFP via Getty Images

A nine-team global tournament, the ICC World Test Championship 2021-2023 is a two-year competition that seeks to crown an undisputed champion of the game’s ultimate format at the end of a league campaign and a showpiece decider.

New Zealand are the reigning World Test Champions, having beaten India on the reserve day of a rain-affected final at the Rose Bowl in Southampton in July 2021.

The nine teams of the ICC World Test Championship

There are nine teams in the second ICC World Test Championship: Defending champions New Zealand, India, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Three Test-playing nations are excluded from the tournament in Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

The format of the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship is the same as the original, though the point system has changed.

Each team in the ICC World Test Championship will play three home and three away series to determine the qualifiers for the final.

The date and location of the ICC World Test Championship Final will be announced at a later date.

The points system of the ICC World Test Championship

In 2021-23, the percentage of available points collected will determine the standings, but the amount of points available per Test has been made uniform.

No matter the length of the series, each Test match carry 12 points for a win, four for a draw and six for a tie. Hence, a five-Test series will have a total of 60 points available and a two-Test series a maximum of 24.

As became the case in the previous edition of ICC World Test Championship, the standings will be determined on the percentage of available points collected.

This system allows the relative performance of teams to be compared at any point in time, meaning the cancellation of any matches or series for any reason does not directly impact the points table.

The ICC claim it will also standardise the imbalance in the number of matches played by teams.

How many series in the WTC?

Proteas — South African batsman Quinton de Kock leaves the ground after he was out by Pakistani bowler Noman Ali during the first day of first cricket test match between Pakistan and South Africa in Karachi, Pakistan, 26 January 2021. The South African cricket squad arrived in Pakistan for their first tour consisting of two Test and three T20 matches after a 14-year break. EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER

While the teams may not play the same amount of matches in the ICC World Test Championship cycle, each team will play six WTC series – three at home and three away.

South Africa will host WTC series against India, West Indies and Bangladesh while they will take on Australia, England and defending champions New Zealand on their travels.

The series each team will play are outlined in the image below.