Have you ever felt confused about the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, how points are calculated, or how many teams participate in the WTC? This article will help you understand the competition, its format, schedule, and points system better.
When Was the World Test Championship Introduced?
The World Test Championship (WTC) was introduced in 2019 to make every Test match more competitive and reduce the number of dead rubbers towards the end of a series.
How Many Teams Participate in the WTC?
The top nine Test-playing nations are part of the WTC, while Full Members Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Ireland are currently not included in the competition.
Australia, England, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the West Indies have featured in the WTC so far.
How Long Does the World Test Championship Run?
The WTC runs for a two-year cycle. Currently, the 2025–27 cycle is underway, with the final scheduled to be played at The Oval in London from June 9–13, 2027.
What Is the Format of the WTC?
Every bilateral Test series between the nine participating teams is played for WTC points. However, due to scheduling constraints, not all nine teams play against each other during a two-year cycle.
The bilateral series that are scheduled between the teams carry WTC points. A series can consist of two, three, four, or five Tests, depending on the agreement between the respective cricket boards.
At the end of the cycle, the top two teams in the standings qualify for the WTC Final.
How Many Matches Does a Team Play in a WTC Cycle?
The number of matches a team plays depends on its schedule during the two-year cycle. All teams do not necessarily play an equal number of matches.
Teams such as England generally play more Test matches, while Asian teams such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh tend to play fewer. To make the competition fair and competitive despite the difference in the number of matches played, the ICC introduced the Percentage of Points (PCT) system.
Current World Test Championship (WTC) Points System
The ICC’s WTC points allocation is as follows:
- Win: 12 points
- Tie: 6 points
- Draw: 4 points
- Loss: 0 points
How Is Percentage of Points (PCT) Calculated?
Since not all teams play an equal number of matches during a WTC cycle, the standings are not decided by the total number of points won. Instead, teams are ranked based on their Percentage of Points (PCT).
PCT = (Total Points Won ÷ Total Points Contested) × 100
Example: Australia
Australia, the current leaders in the WTC standings, have played nine matches, winning seven and losing two, with no draws.
Total Points Won by Australia = 84
- Matches won: 7 × 12 = 84 points
- Matches lost: 2 × 0 = 0 points
- Draws: 0 × 4 = 0 points
Total Points Contested = 12 × 9 = 108
Here, 12 is the maximum number of points available in each match, while 9 is the number of matches Australia have played.
Let’s calculate Australia’s PCT using the formula:
PCT = (84 ÷ 108) × 100
PCT = 77.78
Therefore, Australia’s PCT = 77.78%.
Example: India
India currently sits fifth in the WTC standings and have played 10 matches, winning five, losing four, and drawing one.
Total Points Won by India = 64
- Matches won: 5 × 12 = 60 points
- Draws: 1 × 4 = 4 points
- Matches lost: 4 × 0 = 0 points
Total Points Contested = 12 × 10 = 120
Let’s calculate India’s PCT using the formula:
PCT = (64 ÷ 120) × 100
PCT = 53.33
Therefore, India’s PCT = 53.33%.
WTC has made Test matches more competitive. Even in a dead rubber, if a team is trailing 0–2, or 0-3, or 0-4, in a series, they will look to play positively and earn valuable points. The competition gives teams an ultimate goal to strive for, making every Test match more meaningful.