Icc World Test Championship

It is a league competition run by the International Cricket Council (ICC), with its inaugural season starting in 2019. In line with the ICC's goal of having one pinnacle tournament for each of the three formats of international cricket, it is the premier championship for Test cricket. Australia are the current champions, having defeated India in the 2023 final. India have played in each WTC final, finishing runners up in both.

ICC World Test Championship

Administrator	International Cricket Council
Format	Test cricket
First edition	2019–2021
Latest edition	2021–2023
Next edition	2023–2025
Tournament format	League and Final
Number of teams	9
Current champion	Australia (1st title)
Most successful	New Zealand  Australia (1 title each)
Most runs	Joe Root (4,307)
Most wickets	Nathan Lyon (187)
2023–2025

The league games of WTC are not considered as an ICC event and the broadcasting rights are with the host nation's cricketing board itself and not with ICC. But unlike the league stage matches, the WTC finals are considered to be an ICC event. The inaugural ICC World Test Championship started with the 2019 Ashes series and finished with New Zealand lifting the trophy after defeating India in the final in June 2021. The second ICC World Test Championship started on 4 August 2021 with the Pataudi Trophy series and finished with Australia lifting the trophy after defeating India in the final in June 2023. The 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship started in 2023 and will conclude with the finals in England in the summer of 2025.

This championship was first proposed in 1996 by Clive Lloyd, former cricketer and then manager of the West Indies team. Later, in 2009, when the ICC met the MCC to discuss a proposed Test match championship. Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe was one of the main brains behind this proposal.

In July 2010 ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat suggested a quadrennial tournament with the four best-ranked nations meeting in the semi-finals and a final, in a bid to boost flagging interest in the longest form of the sport. The first tournament was meant to replace the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales.

The idea of a Test championship was considered by the ICC Chief Executives' Committee at a meeting at their headquarters in Dubai in mid-September 2010. ICC spokesperson Colin Gibson said that much more would be revealed after the meeting, and that if the championship was held in England, then the favoured final venue would be Lord's. As expected, the ICC approved the plan and said that the first tournament would be held in England and Wales in 2013. The format of the tournament was also announced. It would comprise an inaugural league stage, played over a period of four years, with all ten current Test cricket nations (Australia, India, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh) participating. After the league stage the top four teams will take part in the play-offs, with the final determining the Test cricket champions.

There was a debate as to whether the play-off would take place between the top 8 teams or the top four teams, but the latter was unanimously chosen by the board. It was also announced that the tournament would replace the ICC Champions Trophy. No decision had been made concerning how to decide the outcome of drawn matches in the knock-out stages.

However, in 2011, the ICC announced that the Test Championship would not take place until 2017, and that the 2013 tournament would be cancelled because of financial problems within the board, and its commitment to its sponsors and broadcasters. England and Wales, the original hosts of this cancelled tournament were awarded the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy instead, the tournament that the Test Championship was intended to replace. This drew widespread criticism; both Greg Chappell and Graeme Smith criticised the ICC, saying that postponing the Test Championship was wrong and unjustified. The Guardian reported that this postponement was a blow to Lord's, which had been expected to host the final.

At the ICC Chief Executives' meeting in April 2012, it was confirmed that the ICC Champions Trophy would be last held in 2013 with the inaugural Test Championship play-offs being scheduled for June 2017. The ICC said that there would be only one trophy for each format of the game, which meant that the Champions Trophy would no longer take place since the Cricket World Cup is the premier event for 50-over cricket.

The final would possibly have followed the historical timeless test format. Further improvements in the structure of the championship have also been discussed.

However, in January 2014 the 2017 ICC World Test Championship was cancelled and the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was reinstated.

In October 2017, the ICC announced that a Test league had been agreed upon by its members, which would involve the top nine teams playing series over two years with the top two teams qualifying for a World Test League Championship Final, which will be considered as an ICC event.

2019–21 tournament

The first tournament began with the 2019 Ashes series. In March 2020, matches were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not resuming before July 2020, with several rounds of matches being postponed or ultimately cancelled. New Zealand became the first team to qualify for the final, when it was confirmed that the series between South Africa and Australia would not proceed, followed by India. The inaugural World Test Championship Final was played between India and New Zealand from 18 to 23 June 2021 at Rose Bowl, Southampton, England. Despite the opening and fourth day of the final being washed out by rain, New Zealand managed to win in the final session of the reserve day and lifted the first World Test Championship trophy.

2021–23 tournament

The WTC 2021–23 cycle began in August 2021 with Pataudi Trophy (5 matches series between India and England). The International Cricket Council officially announced the full programme with a new points system. Australia qualified for the final by winning the 3rd Test Match of the 2022–23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India qualified after Sri Lanka failed to win the first match of their series in New Zealand, qualifying for the final for the second consecutive time. The final was played from 7 June to 11 June 2023 at The Oval, London, England, with Australia emerging as champions after defeating India by 209 runs. This was India's second consecutive defeat at the WTC final.

2023–25 tournament

The WTC 2023–25 cycle began with the 1st Ashes Test on 16 June 2023. The International Cricket Council officially announced that the WTC final will be played at Lord's in the summer of 2025.

An overview of all the Test playing nations' performances:

Tournament Team	2019 –2021	2021 –2023	2023 –2025	Apps.
Australia	3rd	W	Q	3
Bangladesh	9th	9th	Q	3
England	4th	4th	Q	3
India	RU	RU	Q	3
New Zealand	W	6th	Q	3
Pakistan	6th	7th	Q	3
South Africa	5th	3rd	Q	3
Sri Lanka	7th	5th	Q	3
West Indies	8th	8th	Q	3

Key:

World Test Championship Records
Batting
Most runs	Joe Root	4,307
Most hundreds		13
Most runs in a single tournament		1,915 (2021-2023)
Most hundreds in a single tournament		8 (2021–23)
Highest average (min 50 innings)	Babar Azam	55.43
Highest score	David Warner v   Pakistan	335* (2019–21)
Bowling
Most wickets	Nathan Lyon	187
Most wickets in a single tournament		83 (2021–23)
Best average (min 1000 balls)	Kyle Mayers	17.47
Best bowling in an innings	Ajaz Patel v   India	10/119 (2021–23)
Best bowling in a match		14/225 (2021–23)
Fielding
Most dismissals by a wicket-keeper	Alex Carey	133
Most dismissals in a single tournament		68 (2021–23)
Most catches by a fielder	Steve Smith	87
Team
Highest score	New Zealand v   Pakistan	659/6d (2019–21)
Lowest score	India v   Australia	36 (2019–21)

As of 10 March 2024

• ICC Cricket World Cup
• ICC T20 World Cup
• ICC Champions Trophy
• ACC Asian Test Championship
• 2005 ICC Super Series