Major Shake-Up Looming for World Test Championships

The International Cricket Council is considering changes to the World Test Championships' points system while deferring the division of Test cricket into two tiers. The aim is to address issues of fairness and ensure competitive balance, with discussions ongoing during meetings in Zimbabwe.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is contemplating significant changes to the points system for the World Test Championships (WTC) during its recent meetings in Zimbabwe. These discussions come amidst ongoing debate over the fairness of the current system.

The ICC is considering introducing a revised points system that includes bonus points based on victory margins and strength of opponents. This is intended to address concerns that the existing 12 points for a win, six for a tie, and four for a draw do not adequately reflect the competitive landscape, particularly disadvantaging the major cricketing nations, India, England, and Australia.

Although there is a proposal for a two-division Test cricket format, Cricket Australia's suggestion was not put to a vote. The ICC plans to retain the single-league format for now, citing the need to understand the potential sporting and financial impacts better.

(With inputs from agencies.)