2019-2021 ICC World Test Championship Points System, All Teams Schedule & Concerns

Are you a Test cricket fan? Do you feel sad when you see many empty seats in the stands for most Test matches? Well, then this new attempt by ICC to revive Test Cricket may cheer you up. In this article, we will see the ICC World Test Championship format, rules, points system, all teams and their schedule, and also some of the concerns regarding the tournament format and rules.

World Title for Test Cricket

One-day International (ODI) cricket format has a quadrennial World Cup, where a nation takes pride in attempting to be the ODI World Champion every four years. The T20 cricket format has a biennial World Cup, which is such an exciting tournament. Compared to these exciting and entertaining formats, Test cricket looks bland and boring to the new generation. What if there is a chance to fight for your nation’s pride in the Test Cricket too? Well, it will definitely give a whole new meaning to the Test match tournaments. Then it will not only be just about the skills, patience, and class but also about the pride of nations, where there is a hunger to establish yourself as a champion in the format.

Many Birds One Stone

Well, ICC World Test Championship hits the bull’s eye on this target and also kills few more birds with a single stone. For eg, many a time, once a series is won by a team, the remaining games in that series failed to attract viewers. But now that last remaining test will still have significance in the bigger picture of things. That last win may give the series-losing team some important points to march ahead in the ICC World Test Championship. The battle is lost? So What?! That team may still win the war!

Also, it is expected that fans will now also take interest in the test matches played between other teams not involving their own country, as the results of those matches may affect the overall positioning of all teams in the points table. Just imagine, there is a dead rubber match going on between two teams. But the result of that match may decide the fate of a few other teams regarding their chances to qualify for the final. Suddenly the dead rubber becomes exciting and attracts eyeballs from the world over.

Thus every Test match will be important from the overall context of the championship. This will lead to attracting the quality and quantity of sponsors for the Test tournaments.

Will Succeed or Fail?

I have no doubt that this World Test Championship is going to make Test cricket, which is the purest form of cricket, very very exciting, even for the new generation. Which cricket fan would not want to see their team competing for some kind of World Title? Of course, some experts have different views and they believe that it may not succeed in reversing the declining TRP or mass appeal of Test matches. What do you feel? Let us know in the comments section at the end of the article.

[su_box title=”Also See” box_color=”#0E1E8E” radius=”2″]2019-2021 ICC World Test Championship Latest Points Table Standings and Teamwise Results

Ashes Series History and the Urn Trophy Mystery [/su_box]

ICC World Test Championship Format and Duration

ICC World Test Championship is a two-year-long competition taking place from August 2019 to June 2021. In this two-year span, the top nine test nations will play six test series each against six other test nations (three series on homeland and three on foreign land).

That means they need not play against any two of the eight other nations in the tournament. Details of which are given later in the article. Each Test win/draw/tie will result in gaining some points. The losing team will get zero points.

ICC World Test Championship Final

At the end of this two-year cycle, the top two teams with the highest points will get to play the final in June 2021 at Lord’s, London. In case it is a draw or tie, the team with the highest points in the overall points table will be declared as champions.

What about other Test teams?

Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe are the test nations that will not be part of the ICC World Test Championship. Also, Zimbabwe was recently suspended by ICC and will not be allowed to play any international matches. So no question about them being in the big tournament. Afghanistan and Ireland, however, will play international test matches but they will not be considered for the championship. They are still eligible to gain points for the ICC Test rankings.

What if there are additional test series?

Also, apart from the six series, if any board decides to have additional test match series, those matches will not be part of the ICC World Test Championship. But they will be considered for the ICC Test rankings.

The below table shows all the teams playing in the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021 and the total number of matches they will play as part of the tournament. The top two teams at the end of the tournament will play the additional ‘Final’ match. The below table also shows the two teams against whom a particular team will not play.

ICC World Test Championship Points System

Each Test series will have a total of 120 points. Now if a test series has two matches, these 120 points will be divided between these two matches. That means each match will carry 60 points. A team that wins will get 60 points. If it is a tie, both the teams will get 30 points each, and if it is a draw, each team will get 1/3rd of the total points. So, in this case, 1/3rd of 60 points, means 20 points each for both the teams.

Similarly, if it is 5 match series, then the 120 points will be divided into 24 points for each test match. So the winning team will get 24 points. If it is a tie, both teams will get 12 points. And if it is a draw, they will get 1/3rd of 24 points ie 8 points each.

Point System for all scenarios is given in the below table:

All Teams Schedule for ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021 :

ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021 will begin on August 01, 2019, when the mighty Australians will take on the new limited-overs World Champions England, as part of the Ashes series. This match at Edgbaston, Birmingham will be the first of the 5-match series.

The top two teams in the points table, at the end of the two-year cycle, will challenge each other in the Final at Lord’s, London, in the month of June in 2021.

1. India Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

India will begin their competition by playing a two-match test series against West Indies in West Indies on August 22, 2019. Later Team India will take on South Africa in home-conditions in October 2019, followed by a home series with Bangladesh in November 2019.

In February 2020, India will go to New Zealand for two-match test series. I am sure ardent Indian cricket fans will either not sleep at night during these two matches or will wake up very early, as the test matches in New Zealand start after 3 am for the Indian TV audience.

Later in November 2020, India will fly to Australia and once again challenge the Australians in a 4-match grueling test series.

And finally, the ODI World Cup Winners England will come to India for a 5-match test series in January-February 2021.

India will play a total of 18 Test matches in the whole competition.

[table id=68 /]

2. New Zealand Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

New Zealand will play 14 Tests in the two-year span of the ICC World Test Championship. And they will begin their run for the World Title by taking on Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka on Aug 14, 2019, in the first of the 2-match Test Series.

Then, New Zealand will go to Australia in December 2019 for a three-match Test battle.

In Feb 2020, they will accept India’s challenge in a two-match Test series in New Zealand conditions.

Kiwi team will later fly to Bangladesh in August 2020 for a two-match Test series.

They will challenge Team West Indies in November 2020 and Team Pakistan in December 2020 in home conditions.

[table id=69 /]

3. South Africa Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

South Africa will play a total of 16 matches in the whole competition. Proteas will begin their proceedings by challenging India in a three-match Test series and that too in the difficult Indian conditions.

In the last week of December 2019, they will take on England in home conditions in a 4-match Test series.

They will go to West Indies for a two-match Test series in July 2020.

Sri Lanka will come to South Africa in January 2021 for a two-match Test series. After this, Proteas will have an ‘away’ two-match series against Pakistan in January-February 2021.

Finally, in February 2021, South Africa will face guest Australians in a three-match Test series.

[table id=70 /]

4. England Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

England will play the most number of matches (22 matches) in this competition.

ICC World Test Championship will begin with England taking on Australia in the 5-match Ashes Test Series starting August 1, 2019, in Birmingham, England.

Later England will fly to South Africa for a 4-match Test series in December 2019-January 2020.

The English team will then play a two-match series in Sri Lanka in March 2020.

They will come back home and will take on West Indies in June-July 2020 and Pakistan in July-August 2020.

Finally, they will go to India for a 5-match series in January-February 2021.

[table id=72 /]

5. Australia Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

Australia will play their first series of the ICC World Test Championship starting August 1, 2019, as part of the Ashes series in England.

Later, they will take on the guests Pakistan in a two-match series in November-December 2019 and then guests/neighbors New Zealand in a three-match Test series in December-January 2019/20.

They will later go to Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in February 2020.

In the home conditions, Australia will take on India in a fierce four-match Test battle in November-December 2020.

Finally, Australia will go to South Africa in February-March 2021 for playing three Tests.

In all, Australia will play 19 Tests in the two-year span as part of the ICC World Test Championship.

[table id=73 /]

[su_box title=”Also See” box_color=”#0E1E8E” radius=”2″]2019-2021 ICC World Test Championship Latest Points Table Standings and Teamwise Results

Ashes Series History and the Urn Trophy Mystery [/su_box]

6. Sri Lanka Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

Sri Lanka will play 13 matches in the whole competition.

They will play their first home series against New Zealand starting August 14, 2019, on Galle International Stadium, Galle. The second and final test of the series will be played on August 22, 2019, in Colombo.

Then the Sri Lankan team play an ‘away’ two-match Test series against Pakistan in December 2019.

England will come to Sri Lanka in March-April 2020 for two-match Test series.

In July-August 2020, Sri Lanka will play a three-match Test series against Bangladesh in home conditions.

Then Sri Lanka will fly to South Africa in January 2021 and to West Indies in February 2021 for a two-match Test series each.

[table id=74 /]

7. Pakistan Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

Pakistan will play 13 Test matches as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021.

First, they will fly to Australia for a two-match Test series starting November 21, 2019, at the Gabba, Brisbane.

Next, they will have a home series against Sri Lanka in December 2019.

They will play a ‘home’ two-match Test series against Bangladesh in January-February 2020.

Later they will fly to England in July month of 2020 for a three-match Test series and then to New Zealand in December 2020 for a two-match Test series.

Finally, Team Pakistan will play a home series against South Africa in January-February 2021 involving two Tests.

[table id=75 /]

8. West Indies Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

West Indies will begin their ICC World Test Championship battle by taking on India’s challenge in home conditions, starting August 22, 2019, in Antigua. It will be a two-match Test series.

Next, they will fly to England for a two-match Test series in June-July 2020.

They will return home to accept the Proteas challenge in a two-match Test series in July-August 2020.

A three-match Test series in November-December 2020 in New Zealand conditions will be the fourth series of the Team West Indies.

West Indies will play their second last series of the Test Championship in Bangladesh in January-February 2021. It will involve three Tests.

Lastly, they will play a two-match Test series against the guests Sri Lanka in February-March 2021.

In all, West Indies will play 15 Test matches in the six series.

[table id=76 /]

9. Bangladesh Schedule for the ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021

Bangladesh is scheduled to play a total of 14 matches in the ICC World Test Championship.

Bangladesh’s proceedings will begin in India as part of the two-match Test series starting November 14, 2019, in Indore.

Later they will play an away Test series against Pakistan in January-February, 2020.

Next, they have invited Australia for a two-match Test series in February 2020.

In July-August 2020, the Bangladesh team will go to Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series.

They will play against New Zealand in a home Test series involving two Tests in August-September 2020.

Finally, Team Bangladesh will take on the guests West Indies in January-February 2021 in a three-match Test series.

[table id=77 /]

Some new changes in the Test matches:

1. Like for like replacement in the playing 11 if a batsman is injured due to head concoction injury. However, this needs to be approved by the match referees.

2. Now player jerseys will also have the players’ names and numbers on the back. This is a major change, as we have always associated Test Cricket with plain white jerseys with nothing on it, except the sponsor logos and the cricket board logo. Will it make the game more exciting? Time will tell.

3. There were some talks that there would be player Instagram ids on the back of the jersey, but it turns out they were just rumors/April fools prank on social media.

4. Now onwards, there would be no suspension of captain for slow over-rates. Instead, all the players in the team would be fined at the same level as the captain.

5. For World Test Championship matches, two points will be deducted for each over the team is behind.

Few Concerns:

There are many concerns about fairness in the competition.

1. No. of matches not being the same in a series.

Some teams play two-match test series, some play 3/4/5-match series. So for winning a single match, different teams will get different points, depending upon the number of the matches in the series. On some level, it seems a flawed point system. But also ICC had no other option it seems. So we can’t really complain about that. But one thing is for sure, teams which are playing injury-prone players will be at a disadvantage in a 5-match series compared to a 2-match series. As generally the chances of injuries, tiredness, and mental fatigue increases in a long tournament.

2. Unequal no. of matches in the home and away conditions.

Teams who are playing more matches in home conditions get an undue advantage.

3. The choice to choose the two teams to avoid playing the WTC.

As we have seen above, any team needs to play against only 6 of the 8 other teams. And they can choose against whom they don’t want to play. This does create some kind of unevenness in the competition.

4. Two year-long format

Some experts think that the two-year-long format is a little too much. Most world cup style tournaments happen over a few months. And here we are talking about years.

5. Fewer experiments with playing squads?

Since every match will be important from the point of view of the ICC World Test Championship, I worry about the new young cricketers. Captain and management may want to stick with the tried and tested guys for most matches. I wonder if they would dare to experiment with the playing 11 when important points are stake. This will definitely make teams more cautious and thus will affect the selections of new untested talent for the international matches. What do you think?

Even though we have some concerns regarding the championship format and rules, I will stick to my opinion that this is the best that ICC could do. Yes, the interest in Test cricket is declining, but there are still a significant number of fans who love watching Test matches and would continue to do so for decades to come. I am glad ICC has come up with a good plan to revive the interest and that too without tinkering too much with the classic format.

Alright! So we saw in this article the ICC World Test Championship Format, Points System, all teams complete schedule, new test match changes, and some concerns. We hope you enjoyed reading this article. And now we hope that Test Cricket will again become popular and garner interest from all types of fans and not just the ardent Test cricket lovers.

Let us know your thoughts or concerns about the championship in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to mention which two teams do you think will play the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021, at the beautiful Lord’s.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/ICC_World_Test_Championship

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