World Test Championship

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"Test Championship" redirects here. For the rankings system previously known as ICC Test Championship, see ICC Men's Test Team Rankings.

ICC World Test Championship
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AdministratorInternational Cricket Council
FormatTest cricket
First edition2019–2021
Latest edition2025–2027
Next edition2027–2029
Tournament formatLeague stage and final
Number of teams9
Current championFile:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa
(1st title)
Most successfulFile:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand
File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa
(1 title each)
Most runsEngland Joe Root (6,299)
Most wicketsAustralia Nathan Lyon (224)
Tournaments
Part of a series on the
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Note: Defunct competitions are listed in italics.

The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) is a biennial world championship for Test cricket organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC).[1] The winners of the tournament are awarded the Test Mace, which was previously held by the leader of the Test Championship. South Africa are the current champions, having defeated Australia in the 2025 final at Lord's.

WTC league games are organized by the host nation's cricket board, whereas the final is organized directly by the ICC. The inaugural ICC World Test Championship started with the 2019 Ashes series and finished with New Zealand lifting the trophy after defeating India in the final in June 2021. The second ICC World Test Championship started on 4 August 2021 with the England–India series[2] and finished with Australia lifting the trophy after defeating India in the final in June 2023. The third ICC World Test Championship started on 16 June 2023 with the 2023 Ashes series and concluded with South Africa defeating Australia in the final. The current ICC World Test Championship began with Bangladesh touring Sri Lanka and will conclude at Lord's, London.[3][4]

History

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Men's World Test Championship winners
WTC Cycle Champions
2019-21 File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 
2021-23 File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
2023-25 File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa

This championship was first proposed in 1996 by Clive Lloyd, former cricketer and then manager of the West Indies team.[5] Later, in 2009, when the ICC met the MCC to discuss a proposed Test match championship. Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe was one of the main brains behind this proposal.[6]

In July 2010 ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat suggested a quadrennial tournament with the four best-ranked nations meeting in the semi-finals and a final, in a bid to boost flagging interest in the longest form of the sport. The first tournament was meant to replace the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales.[7][8]

The idea of a Test championship was considered by the ICC Chief Executives' Committee at a meeting at their headquarters in Dubai in mid-September 2010. ICC spokesperson Colin Gibson said that much more would be revealed after the meeting, and that if the championship was held in England, then the favoured final venue would be Lord's.[9] As expected, the ICC approved the plan and said that the first tournament would be held in England and Wales in 2013. The format of the tournament was also announced. It would comprise an inaugural league stage, played over a period of four years, with all ten current Test cricket nations (Australia, India, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh) participating. After the league stage the top four teams will take part in the play-offs, with the final determining the Test cricket champions.[10]

There was a debate as to whether the play-off would take place between the top eight teams or the top four teams, but the latter was unanimously chosen by the board. It was also announced that the tournament would replace the ICC Champions Trophy.[10] No decision had been made concerning how to decide the outcome of drawn matches in the knock-out stages.

However, in 2011, the ICC announced that the Test Championship would not take place until 2017, and that the 2013 tournament would be cancelled because of financial problems within the board, and its commitment to its sponsors and broadcasters. England and Wales, the original hosts of this cancelled tournament, were awarded the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy instead, the tournament that the Test Championship was intended to replace.[11] This drew widespread criticism; both Greg Chappell and Graeme Smith criticised the ICC, saying that postponing the Test Championship was wrong and unjustified.[12][13] The Guardian reported that this postponement was a blow to Lord's, which had been expected to host the final.[14]

At the ICC Chief Executives' meeting in April 2012, it was confirmed that the ICC Champions Trophy would be last held in 2013 with the inaugural Test Championship play-offs being scheduled for June 2017.[15] The ICC said that there would be only one trophy for each format of the game, which meant that the Champions Trophy would no longer take place since the Cricket World Cup is the premier event for 50-over cricket.

The final would possibly have followed the historical timeless test format.[16] Further improvements in the structure of the championship have also been discussed.

However, in January 2014, the 2017 ICC World Test Championship was cancelled and the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was reinstated.[17]

In October 2017, the ICC announced that a Test league had been agreed upon by its members, which would involve the top nine teams playing series over two years with the top two teams qualifying for a World Test League Championship Final, which will be considered as an ICC event.[18]

Tournament summary

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2019–2021 tournament

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Main article: 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship

The first tournament began with the 2019 Ashes series. In March 2020, matches were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not resuming before July 2020, with several rounds of matches being postponed or ultimately cancelled. New Zealand became the first team to qualify for the final, when it was confirmed that the series between South Africa and Australia would not proceed,[19] followed by India. The inaugural World Test Championship Final was played between India and New Zealand from 18 to 23 June 2021 at Rose Bowl, Southampton, England.[20] Despite the opening and fourth day of the final being washed out by rain,[21] New Zealand managed to win in the final session of the reserve day and lifted the first World Test Championship trophy.[22]

2021–2023 tournament

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Main article: 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship

The WTC 2021–23 cycle began in August 2021 with Pataudi Trophy (5 matches series between India and England).[23] The International Cricket Council officially announced the full programme with a new points system.[24] Australia qualified for the final by winning the 3rd Test Match of the 2022–23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.[25] India qualified after Sri Lanka failed to win the first match of their series in New Zealand,[26] qualifying for the final for the second consecutive time. The final was played from 7 June to 11 June 2023 at The Oval, London, England, with Australia emerging as champions after defeating India by 209 runs.[27] This was India's second consecutive defeat at the WTC final.[28]

2023–2025 tournament

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Main article: 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship

The WTC 2023–25 cycle began with the 1st Ashes Test on 16 June 2023.[23] The International Cricket Council officially announced that the WTC final will be played at Lord's in the summer of 2025.[29] In the final, South Africa defeated Australia by 5 wickets to win their maiden championship. This was also their second ICC trophy after the 1998 KnockOut Trophy.[30] Aiden Makram was awarded Player of the Match.[31]

Results

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Cycle Number of teams Final
Venue Winners Result Runners-up Player of the final Winning captain
2019–2021 9 Rose Bowl, Southampton File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand
249 & 140/2 		New Zealand won by 8 wickets
Scorecard 		File:Flag of India.svg India
217 & 170 		New Zealand Kyle Jamieson New Zealand Kane Williamson
2021–2023 The Oval, London File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
469 & 270/8d 		Australia won by 209 runs
Scorecard 		File:Flag of India.svg India
296 & 234 		Australia Travis Head Australia Pat Cummins
2023–2025 Lord's, London File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa
138 & 282/5 		South Africa won by 5 wickets
Scorecard 		File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
212 & 207 		South Africa Aiden Markram South Africa Temba Bavuma
2025–2027

Team performances

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Overview

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As of 12 December 2025
Team Statistics Best performance
Matches Won Lost Draw Tied % Win % Loss % Draw
File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 59 38 12 9 0 64.40 20.33 15.27 Champions (2021–2023)
File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 45 25 18 2 0 55.55 40.00 4.45 Champions (2023–2025)
File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 41 20 17 4 0 48.78 41.46 9.76 Champions (2019–2021)
File:Flag of India.svg India 64 35 23 7 0 53.84 35.38 10.78 Runners-up (2019–2021, 2021–2023)
File:Flag of England.svg England 72 34 29 9 0 47.22 40.27 12.50 4th place (2019–2021, 2021–2023)
File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 39 13 20 6 0 33.33 51.28 15.39 5th place (2021–2023)
File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan 42 14 21 7 0 33.33 50.00 16.66 6th place (2019–2021)
 Bangladesh 33 5 25 3 0 15.15 75.75 9.10 7th place (2023–2025)
File:WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg West Indies 46 10 29 7 0 21.73 63.04 15.23 8th place (2019–2021, 2021–2023, 2023–2025)
  • Source: CricInfo[32]
Key
1st Winner
2nd Runners-up

An overview of all the Test playing nations' performances:

Tournament

Team
 2019–2021 2021–2023 2023–2025 2025–2027
File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 3rd 1st 2nd
 Bangladesh 9th 9th 7th
File:Flag of England.svg England 4th 4th 5th
File:Flag of India.svg India 2nd 2nd 3rd
File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 1st 6th 4th
File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan 6th 7th 9th
File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa 5th 3rd 1st
File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka 7th 5th 6th
File:WestIndiesCricketFlagPre1999.svg West Indies 8th 8th 8th

Tournament records

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Main article: List of World Test Championship records
As of 20 December 2025
Batting
Most runs England Joe Root 6,299[33]
Most hundreds 22[34]
Most runs in a single tournament 1,968 (2023–2025)[35]
Most hundreds in a single tournament 8 (2021–23)
Highest score Australia David Warner v Pakistan 335* (2019–21)[36]
Bowling
Most wickets Australia Nathan Lyon 224[37]
Most wickets in a single tournament 88 (2021–23)[38]
Best bowling in an innings New Zealand Ajaz Patel v India 10/119 (2021–23)[39]
Best bowling in a match 14/225 (2021–23)[40]
Fielding
Most dismissals by a wicket-keeper Australia Alex Carey 196[41]
Most dismissals in a single tournament 98 (2023–25)[42]
Most catches by a fielder Australia Steve Smith 114[43]
Most catches in a single tournament 43 (2023–25)[44]
Team
Highest score England England v Pakistan Pakistan 823/7d (2023–25)[45]
Lowest score Cricket West Indies West Indies v Australia Australia 27 (2025–27)[46]

Trophy

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Main article: ICC Test Championship Mace

The Test Mace was designed and made by British silversmiths, Thomas Lyte.[47] The mace is made of silver and 24-carat gold plate and the base is hardwood. The long handle was designed to represent a stump and the top of the trophy is designed like a cricket ball.[48]

See also

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References

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  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ ICC calls meeting with MCC to discuss proposed World Test Championship, The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 January 2012
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ^ ICC to hold World Test Cup in 2013?, The Times of India. Retrieved 4 January 2012
  10. ^ a b ICC approves Test championship, ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 4 January 2012
  11. ^ World Test Championship to be Postponed; Financial Considerations to Blame Archived 6 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Crickblog. Retrieved 4 January 2012
  12. ^ Test Championship postponement a 'shame' – Greg Chappell ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 4 January 2012
  13. ^ Ken Borland, ICC too slow on test championship says Smith, Stuff.co.nz, 17 November 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012
  14. ^ Lord's suffers Test Championship blow as ICC scraps mandatory DRS rule, The Guardian, 11 October 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2012
  15. ^ No Champions Trophy after 2013, Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2012
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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