ICC confirms new points system for next World Test Championship

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the second edition of the World Test Championship (WTC) as well as the new points system for bilateral series that will be part of the 2021-23 cycle starting next month.

The ICC said that in the upcoming WTC, each match will get 12 points for a win, six for a tie and four for a draw. Unlike the previous system where equal points were allotted for each series, divided into the number of matches played. In the previous system these points were allocated for each series, divided into the number of matches played.

“Learning from last year’s disruption, changes have been made to simplify the points system,” ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardyce said in a statement. We have received feedback that the previous scoring system needs to be simplified. This was taken into account by the Cricket Committee when proposing a new, standardized points system for each match. It maintained the principle of ensuring that all matches in the WTC series count in a team position, adjusting the series in length between two Tests and five Tests.

Allardyce said, “During the corona pandemic, we had to change the ranking teams on the points table using the percentage of available points won by each team, because not all series could be completed. This helped us determine the finalists and we were able to complete the championship within the stipulated time frame. This method allowed us to compare the relative performance of teams at any given time, regardless of the number of matches they played.
Meanwhile, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, Indian skipper Virat Kohli and England skipper Joe Root are looking to put their best foot forward in the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship, starting with the England-India series in Nottingham on August 4.