Overview of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Things you didn’t know about the ICC (WTC)
The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) is a biennial cricket tournament organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC), aiming to determine the world champion in Test cricket. Although organized by the ICC, WTC league games are not considered official ICC events, so broadcasting rights are managed by each host country’s cricket board. Only the WTC final is classified as an ICC event.
The WTC is the primary championship for Test cricket, aligning with the ICC’s objective of establishing a premier competition for each format of the sport. Australia is the current champion, having defeated India in the 2023 final. India has reached the final match in both previous championships, finishing as the runner-up each time.
The tournament includes 27 series and a total of 69 matches in the league phase. The top two teams in the standings will face off in the final at Lord’s, London. Each team plays six series—three at home and three away—with each series consisting of two to five Test matches.
The first WTC began with the 2019 Ashes series and concluded with New Zealand defeating India in the final in June 2021. The second edition started in August 2021 with the Pataudi Trophy series, ending with Australia’s victory over India in June 2023. The current WTC began with the 2023 Ashes and will conclude with the final in England at Lords in mid-2025.
History of the ICC World Test Championship Proposal
The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) has a complex history, shaped by years of proposals, revisions, and postponements as cricket’s governing bodies worked to establish a premier tournament for Test cricket. Let’s explore the history and the making of ICC World Test Championship.
The idea for a Test cricket championship was first proposed by Clive Lloyd, a former West Indies cricketer, in 1996. Years later, in 2009, ICC officials discussed the concept further with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), with New Zealand’s former captain, Martin Crowe, being one of its main supporters.
In July 2010, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat suggested a quadrennial tournament where the four top-ranked teams would compete in semi-finals and a final, aiming to rekindle interest in Test cricket. This championship was initially planned to replace the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales. The ICC approved this plan, announcing a structure where the ten Test nations would play a league over four years, with the top four teams entering playoffs to decide the world champion.
However, discussions arose about whether the playoffs should involve the top four or eight teams, with the ICC eventually settling on four. The format for drawn matches during knockouts was undecided.
In 2011, financial constraints and existing sponsor commitments led the ICC to delay the Test Championship until 2017, reinstating the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy instead, with England and Wales as hosts. The decision faced criticism from figures like Greg Chappell and Graeme Smith, while reports suggested that Lord’s, initially expected to host the Test Championship final, was disappointed by the cancellation.
The ICC reaffirmed in 2012 that the 2013 Champions Trophy would be the last, and that the Test Championship would take place in 2017. This would create a single premier event for each format of the game, making the Cricket World Cup the only major 50-over tournament.
Despite ongoing discussions about adopting the “timeless Test” format for the final, the ICC announced in January 2014 that the Test Championship would be postponed again, and the Champions Trophy would return in 2017. Then in October 2017, the ICC established a two-year league among the top nine Test teams, with the top two advancing to a final in what would be an ICC event.