Dubai : July 29, 2019.
Mehboob ur Rehman Tanoli
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday, officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC).
Getting underway on 1 August 2019, the WTC will see the top nine Test teams in the world – Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies – compete in 71 Test matches across 27 series, played over two years; with the top two teams contesting the ICC World Test Championship Final in June 2021 (to be played in the UK) and the winners crowned ICC World Test Champions.
Comments Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager – Cricket Operations: “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world’s best teams to go head-to-head. The World Test Championship will bring relevance and context to bilateral Test cricket over the next two years, creating a pinnacle event for the five-day format, just as the World Cups for men and women do in the ODI and T20I formats.”
With points available for every single game, each team will play three home and three away series. Each series counts for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series. For example, a two-match series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match. A tie will be 50% of the points available, whilst a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio.
Organised by Member Boards, the matches will be played just like any bilateral series, but with the added context of a competition and one champion team. Opponents were scheduled by the collective agreement of the competing Members, with a number of the fixtures already committed within existing Member rights agreements.
The number of matches in each series can vary between a minimum of two matches, to a maximum of five matches. The first cycle of the WTC consists of only five-day matches and will include day-night matches, subject to bilateral and mutual agreement between the opponents. Only matches identified as part of the WTC will count towards the championship.
The ICC is responsible for the competition terms and the conduct of cricket, by way of providing match officials and ensuring matches are played as per the laws of the game. The ICC is also responsible for delivery of the ICC World Test Championship final.
Here is a list of complete fixtures of the World Test Championship in the 2019-21 cycle:
India
July-August 2019: 2 Tests v West Indies (A)
October-November 2019: 3 Tests v South Africa (H)
November 2019: 2 Tests v Bangladesh (H)
February 2020: 2 Tests v New Zealand (A)
December 2020: 4 Tests v Australia (A)
January-February 2021: 5 Tests v England (H)
England
July-August 2019: 5 Tests v Australia (H)
December 2019-January 2020: 4 Tests v South Africa (A)
March 2020: 2 Tests v Sri Lanka (A)
June-July 2020: 3 Tests v West Indies (H)
July-August 2020: 3 Tests v Pakistan (H)
January-February 2021: 5 Tests v India (A)
Australia
July-August-September 2019: 5 Tests v England (A)
November 2019: 2 Tests v Pakistan (H)
December 2019-January 2020: 3 Tests v New Zealand (H)
February 2020: 2 Tests v Bangladesh (A)
November-December 2020: 4 Tests v India (H)
February-March 2021: 3 Tests v South Africa (A)
South Africa
October 2019: 3 Tests v India (A)
December 2019-January 2020: 4 Tests v England (H)
July-August 2020: 2 Tests v West Indies (A)
January 2021: 2 Tests v Sri Lanka (H)
January-February 2021: 2 Tests v Pakistan (A)
February-March 2021: 3 Tests v Australia (H)
New Zealand
July-August 2019: 2 Tests v Sri Lanka (A)
December 2019-January 2020: 3 Tests v Australia (A)
February 2020: 2 Tests v India (H)
August-September 2020: 2 Tests v Bangladesh (A)
November-December 2020: 3 Tests v West Indies (H)
December 2020: 2 Tests v Pakistan (H)
Sri Lanka
July-August 2019: 2 Tests v New Zealand (H)
October 2019: 2 Tests v Pakistan (A)
March-April 2020: 2 Tests v England (H)
July-August 2020: 3 Tests v Bangladesh (H)
January 2021: 2 Tests v South Africa (A)
February-March 2021: 2 Tests v West Indies (A)
Pakistan
October 2019: 2 Tests v Sri Lanka (H)
November-December 2019: 2 Tests v Australia (A)
January-February 2020: 2 Tests v Bangladesh (H)
July-August 2020: 3 Tests v England (A)
December 2020: 2 Tests v New Zealand (A)
January-February 2021: 2 Tests v South Africa (H)
Bangladesh
November 2019: 3 Tests v India (A)
January-February 2020: 2 Tests v Pakistan (A)
February 2020: 2 Tests v Australia (H)
July-August 2020: 3 Tests v Sri Lanka (A)
August-September 2020: 2 Tests v New Zealand (H)
January-February 2021: 3 Tests v Windies (H)
West Indies
July-August 2019: 2 Tests v India (H)
June-July 2020: 3 Tests v England (A)
July-August 2020: 2 Tests v South Africa (H)
November-December 2020: 3 Tests v New Zealand (A)
January-February 2021: 3 Tests v Bangladesh (A)
February-March 2021: 2 Tests v Sri Lanka (H)
