The second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship begins on August 4 (Wednesday) with India taking on England in a five-match Test series. New Zealand, who defeated India in the final in Southampton are the defending champions.
The format of the second edition of the World Test Championship is the same as the original – though the point system has changed. In the upcoming cycle, each team playing three home and three away series to determine the qualifiers for the World Test Championship Final.
The decider of the ultimate Test supremacy runs overs two years to find an undisputed World Test champion.
How many teams are competing in the ICC World Test Championship?
There are nine teams in the competition: the defending champions New Zealand, India, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
What is the new points system?
In 2021-23, the percentage of available points collected will once again determine the standings but the amount of points available per Test has been made uniform.
🔸 12 points available every match, irrespective of series length
🔸 Teams to be ranked on percentage of points wonThe new points system for #WTC23 is revealed 🔢 pic.twitter.com/9IglLPKRa1
— ICC (@ICC) July 14, 2021
No matter the length of the series, each Test will now see 12 points awarded for a win, four for a draw and six for a tie. Hence, a five-Test series will have a total of 60 points available and a two-Test series a maximum of 24.
How many series each team will play in World Test Championship?
Each team will play six WTC series – three at home and three away. However, the number of match each team plays will not be same.
The series each team will play are outlined below:
Some cracking fixtures to look out for in the next edition of the ICC World Test Championship 🔥
The #WTC23 schedule 👇 pic.twitter.com/YXzu5lS0t1
— ICC (@ICC) July 14, 2021
India will play against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia at home while they play England, Bangladesh and South Africa on overseas conditions. On the other hand, Australia will host England, South Africa and West Indies at home in the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship while they play India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka away from home.
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