As a new century begins, the ICC has set up a working party to examine possible changes to its World Test Championship. The current structure is designed to provide additional context to bilateral test cricket, with each match contributing towards the championship’s final standings. The world champions are crowned at the one-off showpiece match that is known as the World Test Championship Final. The system is slated to continue into the next cycle, which runs from 2027 to 2031.
The governing body has previously spoken of a two-division model, with the top four teams being split into a pair of groups. It is a system that has the backing of Australia and England’s cricket boards, but has yet to be confirmed by other full member countries.
South Africa snatched a stunning victory in the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s last month. It was the Proteas’ first title in the longest format and ended a sour run of tournament heartache following failures at the one-day international and T20 World Cups.
The Proteas’ win, inspired by Aiden Markram’s sublime century and Temba Bavuma’s valuable fifty, came just in time to avoid a relegation to the bottom division of the competition. It also meant the first time that a team from outside the ‘Big Three’ of Australia, India and England has won the championship. That will provide a welcome boost to the long-term survival of red-ball test cricket.
