The ICC’s new World Test Championship aims to add context and excitement to the long format of the game, culminating in a final between the top nine teams. The competition runs over two-year cycles, with the winners earning the right to lift the coveted Test mace. England, which has hosted the first three editions, will host the 2027, 2029 and 2031 finals. The ECB said it was delighted to be given the privilege following a successful track record of hosting previous finals.
While the overall concept of the WTC is simple – winning series earn 12 points, a tie gets six and losing teams lose four points if they bowl too slowly – the scoring system has proved tricky to get right. Richer nations like Australia, India and England often play five-Test series with each other, whereas smaller, less-affluent countries usually play fewer matches in each series. This can create a situation where the results of a few bad series can hurt a team’s chances.
South Africa have been inadvertent beneficiaries of this system – as reflected by their current position in the WTC table – but it’s not entirely their fault. It’s the responsibility of the ICC to ensure scheduling is fair and to find a solution whereby teams who play more Tests aren’t unfairly disadvantaged. Maintaining a five-match Ashes series, for example, would mean all Test series were of the same length and that simply wasn’t possible or desirable.