The World Test Championship is the apex of the game’s longest format. Each series in the competition contributes points, and the top two nations after each cycle compete in a final, similar to the World Cup finals in the ODI and T20I formats. Currently, the competition is limited to the nine highest-ranked teams in the ICC’s Men’s Test Team rankings: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Australia and South Africa are preparing to face off in June’s WTC final at Lord’s in London. The defending champions will be hoping to retain the trophy after they beat Pakistan and India in their respective home series and drew against both England and New Zealand. The winner will lift the coveted ICC test mace and be crowned world champions.
WTC was first introduced in 2019-2021 and the inaugural final was won by New Zealand against India. The competition works in a league format over a two-year cycle, with each team playing six series against mutually selected opposition (home or away) with points awarded for wins and draws, and zero for defeats. The top two teams after each cycle book a place in the final and the champion is then crowned.
Some have argued that the current system is flawed because it doesn’t require all nations to play each other or to play the same number of matches in each series. It also appears to put shorter series like the Ashes at a disadvantage because they don’t carry as much weight in the points table as a full five-match series.