World Test Championship format needs revamping despite riveting final
LONDON :A riveting World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa went a long way to boost the sagging credentials of the five-day game, but the format of the competition is in need of a revamp, according to many of the game's top observers.
South Africa beat Australia by five wickets at lunch on the fourth day of a fluctuating contest at Lord's in which the bowlers dominated the opening two days. A total of 24 wickets were taken, but the tables were turned as wickets turned benign and the batsmen changed the course of the match.
It was classic test cricket, as good as the excitement from any limited overs contest, but the overall WTC is a bewildering competition, devoid of uniformity and an unbalanced points system.
There was much criticism of how South Africa managed to reach the final without playing either Australia and England in the two-year qualifying period.
"It's very hard for the average cricket fan to understand who's the best team in the world and how exactly the top two teams make it to the final," said former England captain Michael Vaughan, now a television pundit.
The two finalists are decided by a table of test results, with points awarded for wins and draws. The pair with the highest percentage of points available to them advance to the final, which in 2027 could again be at Lord's or in India, according to International Cricket Council officials.
But there was a major discrepancy in South Africa playing only 12 tests compared to 19 for Australia and India, and even more by England (22).
"I can't remember if I've ever even given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship to be honest because it's utterly confusing," added England captain Ben Stokes.
Countries are free to decide how many tests they want to play, and in South Africa's case, there is much less of an appetite for test cricket because they lose money.
In the next cycle, which starts on Tuesday when Bangladesh begin a two-test series in Sri Lanka, the new champions will play 14 tests, this time including three test series against each of Australia and England but only two against India.
Five test series are now only the preserve of contests between Australia, England, and India.
"The fixture list is uneven; not everyone plays everyone else, and some have an easier ride than others," wrote Michael Atherton last week.
"Everyone knows the WTC in its present guise is flawed, and that solutions, with so many competing interests, are fiendishly difficult," added the former England skipper.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
Maria crowned first Queen's Club women's champion in 52 years
German qualifier Tatjana Maria capped an incredible week in London as she defeated American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-4 on Sunday to become the first woman to win a title at Queen's Club in over half a century. The victory marked the end of an extraordinary nine-day stretch for the mother-of-two, ranked 86 in the world, having stunned second seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the previous round. The 37-year-old becomes the oldest player to claim a WTA title since Serena Williams in Auckland 2020. She dropped only one set en route to the title and her dream run also included victories over Kazakh fourth seed Elena Rybakina and Czech sixth seed Karolina Muchova. Maria dominated Anismova with big serves and earned an early break in the first set. She won 12 points in a row as she raced to a 4-1 lead and then held off a brief Anisimova fightback to close out the set. Maria carried her momentum into the second as she again surged into a 4-1 lead. Her seventh ace of the match helped her move up 5-3, and she served out the match two games later to clinch her first title in over two years. "A dream come true. (When) I came here, I was never thinking I could hold the trophy at the end. When we arrived my little girl said 'wow that's a nice trophy, so big' and I said 'OK let's go for it I will try to win it'," Maria said. "In the end I've won it, it's incredible. So happy. Everything is possible if you believe in it. You go your way, doesn't matter which it is but you have to keep going. I want to show this to my kids and hopefully they are proud. It's amazing." Maria threw her arms up as she watched Anisimova's forehand sail wide on match point, before both players shared an affectionate embrace at the net. "I wouldn't be surprised if we see you in the Wimbledon final because you really had me running out there today," Anisimova said. Having started the week as world number 86, Maria is projected to move up to world number 43 when the new rankings are released on Monday. The Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen's welcomed back female competitors for the first time since 1973, when the Soviet Union's Olga Morozova won the title. Wimbledon runs from June 30 to July 13.
CNA
19 hours ago
- CNA
World Test Championship format needs revamping despite riveting final
LONDON :A riveting World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa went a long way to boost the sagging credentials of the five-day game, but the format of the competition is in need of a revamp, according to many of the game's top observers. South Africa beat Australia by five wickets at lunch on the fourth day of a fluctuating contest at Lord's in which the bowlers dominated the opening two days. A total of 24 wickets were taken, but the tables were turned as wickets turned benign and the batsmen changed the course of the match. It was classic test cricket, as good as the excitement from any limited overs contest, but the overall WTC is a bewildering competition, devoid of uniformity and an unbalanced points system. There was much criticism of how South Africa managed to reach the final without playing either Australia and England in the two-year qualifying period. "It's very hard for the average cricket fan to understand who's the best team in the world and how exactly the top two teams make it to the final," said former England captain Michael Vaughan, now a television pundit. The two finalists are decided by a table of test results, with points awarded for wins and draws. The pair with the highest percentage of points available to them advance to the final, which in 2027 could again be at Lord's or in India, according to International Cricket Council officials. But there was a major discrepancy in South Africa playing only 12 tests compared to 19 for Australia and India, and even more by England (22). "I can't remember if I've ever even given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship to be honest because it's utterly confusing," added England captain Ben Stokes. Countries are free to decide how many tests they want to play, and in South Africa's case, there is much less of an appetite for test cricket because they lose money. In the next cycle, which starts on Tuesday when Bangladesh begin a two-test series in Sri Lanka, the new champions will play 14 tests, this time including three test series against each of Australia and England but only two against India. Five test series are now only the preserve of contests between Australia, England, and India. "The fixture list is uneven; not everyone plays everyone else, and some have an easier ride than others," wrote Michael Atherton last week. "Everyone knows the WTC in its present guise is flawed, and that solutions, with so many competing interests, are fiendishly difficult," added the former England skipper.
CNA
20 hours ago
- CNA
Tel makes Tottenham move permanent after loan from Bayern
Forward Mathys Tel has signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal after a four-month loan spell at the Premier League team from Bayern Munich, both clubs said on Sunday. The France Under-21 international has signed a contract at Tottenham until 2031, with media reports saying the deal was worth around 30 million pounds ($41 million). "Mathys Tel came to FC Bayern as a very young player and mastered his first steps at the top level of European football here," Bayern's head of sport Max Eberl said in a statement. "He was a popular figure in the squad, who always gave his all for the club and the team. The move to Tottenham has turned out to be the right one for his development." Tel, 20, joined Bayern from Stade Rennes in 2022 on a four-year deal and extended his contract to 2029 in March last year, scoring 16 goals in 83 appearances for the German club, but struggling to find a place in the starting side. He joined Tottenham on loan in February, making 20 appearances, and was part of the squad which earned the North London club their first major trophy in 17 years with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final. Tel becomes the first signing under new coach Thomas Frank, who was appointed on Thursday to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou. ($1 = 0.7372 pounds)
