THE TEST CHAMPIONSHIP
The ultimate test
The razzmatazz of T20 cricket is enjoyed by both young and old. But for many, it’s the five day version that tests the endurance of players more than in any other ballgame; it remains the pinnacle of the sport. Currently, the champions of Test cricket are decided by the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test team rankings. These rankings are based on the results of games played as part of regular Test cricket scheduling with no consideration of home or away status.
Unlike many other sports, home advantage has remained a distinct and enduring feature of cricket. And that’s precisely why teams like the West Indies in the 1970s and ’80s, and Australia in the ’90s and 2000s, were recognised as all-time champs for their ability to win away from home.
Under the ICC ranking system, India secured their third successive Test champions title this year. Australia were the maiden winners in 2002 and held the title for the first eight years. India have now won it five times in all while England claimed it for a year in 2012 and South Africa won it for three successive years from 2013.
As far back as in 1995, Matthew Engel in his editor’s notes in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, called for the introduction of a World Test Championship. And at long last, the much awaited league competition has arrived, and it’s destined to provide greater context to bilateral Test cricket and determine the genuine world champions in this format.
Contested over two-year cycles, the inaugural championship will get underway on 1 August with the Ashes series between traditional rivals England and Australia at Edgbaston, and end with a final at Lord’s in June 2021. Sri Lanka’s first game will be against the touring New Zealanders at the Galle International Stadium starting on 14 August.
The ICC World Test Championship will feature nine of the 12 Test playing nations contesting 27 series. Each team will play three home and three away series against six opponents they have mutually selected. Each series will consist of two to five matches and the same number of points will be available from each series.
Each team will be able to score a maximum of 120 points from each series regardless of its length. Strict rules will apply to disqualify unfit pitches to counteract the doctoring of wickets; and if a pitch is ruled unfit, the visiting team will be awarded the points for a win.
Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland will miss out on the inaugural World Test Championship but play Test series as part
of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme. Their performance will be considered for the usual Test rankings.
Getting Test playing members of the ICC to agree on a Future Tours Programme for a championship would have been a monumental task. Many believe that the Test Championship is a step in the right direction. However, its match schedule appears to be based on what will provide the largest television audiences rather than a level playing field for all teams.
The two teams with the most points at the end of the league stage will progress to the ICC World Test Championship final.
Currently top five contenders for the title are India, New Zealand, South Africa, England and Australia. Nevertheless, lowranked Sri Lanka’s stunning 2-0 series victory against South Africa late last year was a classic example that upsets aren’t impossible even in the longer format of the game.
Let’s hope that the World Test Championship can generate renewed interest in Test cricket, and ensure that the longest version of the gentlemen’s game will be more sustainable and competitive going forward.
“Strict rules will apply to disqualify unfit pitches to counteract the doctoring of wickets