WTC Explained: Everything You Need to Know
From points system to qualification rules — get a complete breakdown of how the World Test Championship works. Understand how teams earn points, what determines standings, and how the finalists are decided out of 9 test playing nations in this two-year-long cricketing battle.
What is the World Test Championship?
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The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) is a league-format tournament giving context to bilateral Test series. Introduced in 2019, it spans two years and culminates in a one-off final to crown the World Test Champion.
Which teams play in the WTC?
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Nine full ICC member nations participate in the WTC: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and West Indies. Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe are not currently part of it.
WTC Format: How It Works
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Each team plays six Test series (three home and three away) across two years. Each series can have 2 to 5 matches. The top two teams qualify for the WTC Final, held at a neutral venue. A win in the final secures the championship; a tie or draw results in joint winners.
How Do Teams Earn WTC Points?
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Points are awarded per match: 12 for a win, 6 for a tie, 4 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. One point is deducted for every over short of the required over-rate.
Ranking: How Are Teams Ordered?
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Teams are ranked based on percentage of points earned out of total points contested (PCT). Tiebreakers include series wins, runs-per-wicket ratio, away win percentage, and ICC rankings.
How Do Teams Reach the Final?
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After playing six series, the top two teams by percentage points qualify for the WTC Final. The winner of the one-off match becomes the World Test Champion. If drawn or tied, both are declared joint winners.
WTC Prize Money
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The total prize pool for the WTC 2023–25 cycle was USD $5.76 million, a significant increase from the previous two editions in 2021 and 2023.
The champions of the 2025 edition walked away with USD $3.8 million, while the runners-up received USD $1.6 million.
In comparison, the winners of the previous two editions received $1.6 million, and the runners-up earned $800,000. The remaining amount is distributed among other teams based on their standings, adding financial prestige to Test cricket and incentivizing high performance.
In comparison, the winners of the previous two editions received $1.6 million, and the runners-up earned $800,000. The remaining amount is distributed among other teams based on their standings, adding financial prestige to Test cricket and incentivizing high performance.
Recent Format Reforms
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- To improve fairness and global reach, the ICC has made several notable reforms:
- Points System Simplification: Points per match (not per series), standardized across all series lengths.
- Tiebreaker Clarity: Added away win percentage and runs-per-wicket ratio.
- Over-rate Penalties Enforced: With in-match impact on points, encouraging timely play.
- Venue Rotation for Finals: To expand reach, the Final may rotate among neutral venues (e.g., Lord’s, The Oval, MCG).
- Review of Team Inclusion: There’s ongoing discussion around including Afghanistan, Ireland, or Zimbabwe in future cycles.
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