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 Lords 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.

Its very hard for the average cricket fan to understand whos 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 Lords 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 cant remember if Ive ever even given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship to be honest because its utterly confusing, added England captain Ben