The World Test Championship: How Cricket Finally Got a Test League
What the ICC World Test Championship is, how the points system works across a two-year cycle, why it was introduced (to give Test cricket competitive context), how percentage points replace raw points to account for different numbers of matches played, which teams have won so far, and the ongoing debate about whether the WTC final is a meaningful championship or an unsatisfying one-match decider.
Why the WTC Exists
Before the World Test Championship (introduced in 2019), Test cricket had no tournament structure — matches were played in bilateral series between countries with no overarching competition connecting them. A series win over England or Australia was meaningful for prestige but had no formal global impact. Test rankings existed but were continuous and did not culminate in any championship moment. The WTC was designed to give every Test series genuine stakes within a global context: every match contributes toward a league table that determines who plays in the WTC final — a two-team Test match that crowns a 'World Test Champion'. This gave Test fans and broadcasters a coherent two-year narrative across all international series.
The Points System
Each bilateral series within the WTC cycle contributes a fixed number of points (120 points per series, regardless of how many Tests are in the series), distributed based on results. Winning a Test earns points from the series allocation; a draw earns fewer points; a loss earns none. Because different teams play different numbers of matches across a WTC cycle (some teams play 6 series, others 5 or 4), raw points totals are unfair. The ICC uses 'percentage of available points' (PCT) as the ranking metric — the actual points earned divided by the maximum possible points if all matches had been won. This allows teams with fewer series played to compete fairly against teams with more matches. A team that wins 80% of available points from 5 series ranks above one winning 70% from 6 series.
WTC Finals Results
The inaugural WTC final (2021): New Zealand beat India by 8 wickets at Southampton — a result considered a genuine upset, with New Zealand's consistent performances across multiple series rewarded with a deserved championship. WTC final 2023: Australia beat India by 209 runs at The Oval, London — giving Australia a Test championship to add to their ODI World Cup win at the same ground. The WTC final location rotates but has been held in England for logistical and commercial reasons (neutral venue, large ground, accessible for global broadcasting). The third cycle (2023-2025) concluded with South Africa beating Australia by 5 wickets at Lord's (June 2025) — Aiden Markram's century in the chase secured South Africa's first ICC title since 1998.
Frequently asked questions
How many series does each team play in a WTC cycle?
In the current WTC structure, each team plays 6 series per cycle — 3 home and 3 away. The specific opponents are arranged by the ICC based on competitive balance and commercial considerations. Not all teams play each other in every cycle (with 12 Test nations, full round-robin would require 66 bilateral series — too many to complete in two years). The ICC's scheduling of WTC series means some team pairings occur in every cycle (high-profile rivalries: India-Australia, England-Australia Ashes) while others rotate — a team may not play a specific opponent in consecutive WTC cycles. This means the WTC is not a full round-robin championship but a partial schedule that the percentage-points system attempts to normalise.
Do all Tests count toward the WTC?
Only Tests between ICC Full Members (the 12 teams with Test status) count toward the WTC. Associate nations that play occasional Tests (like Afghanistan or Ireland) participate in ICC Test cricket but are not part of the current WTC cycle structure. Additionally, WTC eligibility requires the series to be part of the pre-approved ICC Future Tours Programme — a Test series arranged outside the FTP would not count toward WTC points. This has occasionally created complexity when series were moved, shortened, or cancelled.
Has the WTC made Test cricket more commercially popular?
Evidence on WTC's commercial impact is mixed. The WTC has provided broadcasters and media with a coherent two-year narrative — 'team X is currently 3rd in the WTC standings' — that purely bilateral series lacked. The WTC final itself has attracted strong viewership in the participating nations (particularly India-involved finals). However, the WTC has not reversed Test cricket's overall viewership decline relative to T20 cricket, and it is unclear whether casual cricket fans follow WTC standings closely between series. The ICC positions the WTC as a long-term investment in Test cricket's prestige rather than expecting immediate commercial transformation.