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| World Test Championship | |
|---|---|
| Name | World Test Championship |
| Sport | Cricket |
| First | 2019–2021 |
| Administrator | International Cricket Council |
| Format | Test cricket |
| Participants | 9 (cycle-dependent) |
| Current | 2021–2023 |
World Test Championship is an international cricket competition instituted by the International Cricket Council to determine the premier team in Test cricket. Launched amid debates involving the Marylebone Cricket Club, Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia, and other national cricket boards, it sought to restore context to bilateral Test series such as the Ashes series, Border–Gavaskar Trophy, and Frank Worrell Trophy. The competition runs on multi-year cycles and culminates in a final contested by the top two ranked teams.
Conceived after discussions at Edgbaston meetings and ICC Board deliberations, the championship emerged from proposals by figures associated with Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board, BCCI Presidents, and the ICC Chief Executives' Committee. Influences included historical Test series rivalry embodied by the Ashes series, legacy competitions like the Packer Revolution, and governance reforms following controversies involving Match-fixing inquiries and the Duncan Fletcher era. The inaugural cycle was scheduled following agreement at ICC Annual Conference sessions and announced alongside changes to the ICC Future Tours Programme.
The championship uses Test cricket matches played in bilateral series drawn from the Future Tours Programme; series lengths vary from two to five matches. The format assigns points per match, with regulations influenced by precedents from the County Championship and the Sheffield Shield. The inaugural points system, debated by representatives from Cricket South Africa, New Zealand Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board, and Sri Lanka Cricket, awarded fixed points per match rather than per series, with provisions for abandoned fixtures and reserve days. The championship final follows a five-day Test match format at a neutral venue selected through coordination between the ICC Board and host associations such as England and Wales Cricket Board or Cricket West Indies.
Editions correspond to multi-year cycles. The first cycle concluded with a final contested by teams that advanced from league standings maintained during series such as the India tour of Australia and the England tour of South Africa. Subsequent cycles incorporated results from landmark series including the Australia tour of India, the Pakistan tour of England, and the Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand. Finals have been staged at venues associated with Lord's, Whangarei, Gabba, and other historic grounds after negotiation between the ICC Events department and regional hosts.
Participants are full members of the International Cricket Council that play Test cricket, including teams from India, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Bangladesh in various cycles. Qualification for the final is based on points percentage accrued during the cycle, computed from results in bilateral series. Invitational considerations and scheduling conflicts involving boards such as the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Zimbabwe Cricket have influenced cycle composition, while bilateral relationships like the India–Australia cricket rivalry affect fixture intensity and venue allocation.
Statistical aggregates track individual and team achievements across cycles, recording leading run-scorers and wicket-takers from players such as Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Team records include highest series aggregates achieved by India national cricket team, Australia national cricket team, and England cricket team in championship contests. Historic performances in particular series—like the 2018–19 Ashes series influence—and milestones from captains like Tim Paine, Eoin Morgan, Kane Williamson (captain), and Virat Kohli (captain) are catalogued alongside venue-specific records at grounds such as Lord's, Melbourne Cricket Ground, and Eden Gardens.
Reactions from administrators and pundits—including figures at BBC Sport, Sky Sports Cricket, ESPNcricinfo, and cricket historians associated with the MCC Library—varied from acclaim for restoring meaning to Test series to criticism about congested calendars affecting domestic competitions like the Ranji Trophy and the Sheffield Shield. Players and captains from India, Australia, England, and New Zealand have commented on workload and prestige, while broadcasters including Star Sports and Fox Sports negotiated rights reflecting viewership trends rooted in rivalries such as the India–Pakistan cricket rivalry and marquee events like the Ashes series.
Administration falls under the purview of the International Cricket Council's events and competitions committees, with oversight from the ICC Board and coordination with national boards such as the BCCI, Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board, and Pakistan Cricket Board. Tournament regulations, anti-corruption measures enforced by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, and playing conditions referenced from the MCC Laws of Cricket are managed through memoranda between the ICC Chief Executives' Committee and member boards. Financial arrangements involve revenue sharing negotiated during ICC finance committee sessions and bilateral broadcast agreements with entities like Doordarshan and Sky Sports.
Category:International cricket competitions