Tag: ICC World Test Championship (WTC)

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday confirmed the panel of match officials for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final.

The much-anticipated Test is set to be played between South Africa and Australia at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground from June 11 to 15.

New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney and England’s Richard Illingworth will be the on-field umpires for the high-stakes encounter.

Illingworth continues to cement his reputation as a go-to figure for marquee Test matches.

This will be his third consecutive WTC final, making him the only umpire to officiate on-field in all three deciders since the tournament’s inception.

The veteran Englishman is also the reigning ICC Umpire of the Year, having clinched the David Shepherd Trophy for a record fourth time in 2024.

Gaffaney, a familiar face in ICC knockouts, had previously partnered with Illingworth in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final and was also part of the umpiring team for the WTC 2023 final between India and Australia.

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England’s Richard Kettleborough, another experienced campaigner with multiple ICC finals under his belt, has been appointed as the TV umpire for this year’s final.

He was in the same role during the 2021 WTC final between India and New Zealand.

India’s Nitin Menon will be the fourth umpire, marking his WTC final debut in this capacity. Menon had earlier served as the TV umpire in the 2021 T20 World Cup final.

Former Indian fast bowler and seasoned match official Javagal Srinath has been named the match referee.

ICC Chair Jay Shah praised the experience and consistency of the appointed officials and expressed full confidence in their ability to deliver at the sport’s highest level.

“We are pleased to announce an experienced team of match officials for the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, marking the culmination of a highly competitive two-year cycle of Test matches played around the world,” Shah said.

“We strive to select the most qualified and deserving officials for all matches, and we are confident they will perform admirably. On behalf of the ICC, I wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this assignment,” he added.

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Despite ending up at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 points table, the Pakistan cricket team will walk away with a substantial share of the prize pool.

The journey began with optimism following a 2-0 away series win over Sri Lanka, but what followed was a steep decline.

A 3-0 whitewash in Australia marked a rough start to Shan Masood’s reign as red-ball captain.

Things went from bad to worse when Pakistan endured a shocking 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh, adding another unwanted chapter under Shan’s early leadership.

There was a glimmer of hope as Pakistan edged past England 2-1 in a fiercely contested home series, but any talk of revival quickly faded.

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A 2-0 drubbing in South Africa shut the door on any outside chance of making the final, and the campaign ended with a 1-1 draw at home against West Indies.

However, Pakistan will still take home USD $480,000, as part of the ICC’s record prize pool of $5.76 million for the WTC 2023–25 cycle, more than double that of the previous two editions.

The winners of the final, set to be played at Lord’s from June 11 to 15, will earn USD $3.6 million, while the runners-up will receive USD $2.16 million.

India, who narrowly missed out on a spot in the final, will be awarded USD $1.44 million for finishing third.

New Zealand will receive $1.2 million for fourth place, while England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the West Indies, who placed fifth to eighth, will earn $960,000, $840,000, $720,000, and $600,000, respectively.

READ: ICC reveals record prize money for WTC Final

Captain Pat Cummins, fellow quick bowler Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Cameron Green were all named Tuesday in the 15-man squad of Australia for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s next month.

Cummins (ankle) and Hazlewood (hip and calf) missed Australia’s most recent Test series in Sri Lanka because of injury, but both have successfully returned to action in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Green returns to the squad for the first time since undergoing back surgery in October last year.

Exciting 19-year-old batsman Sam Konstas also gets the nod after being left out of the squad that won both Tests in Sri Lanka and is in line to open alongside Usman Khawaja.

Konstas made an explosive start to his Test career against India in December, hitting 60 from 65 balls at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with six fours and two sixes.

Hazlewood has taken 18 wickets to be third on the IPL bowling charts since coming back from injury. But he sat out Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s last match 10 days ago with a shoulder niggle.

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Notably, Australia could become the first to retain the WTC when they face South Africa at Lord’s from June 11, having beaten India in the previous final at the Oval in 2023.

It’s worth noting that Cameron Green is already in England, on a five-match county stint for Gloucestershire, where he has been playing as a batter only and scored a century in his first game back after surgery.

“We are fortunate and looking forward to having Pat, Josh and Cam back in the squad,” said chair of selectors George Bailey.

“The team finished the WTC cycle with an impressive series victory in Sri Lanka following an equally strong summer in defeating India for the first time in a decade.”

The same squad will fly on to the West Indies for three Tests in Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica from June 25.

Australia squad for WTC Final against South Africa

Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

READ: South Africa announce squad for WTC final against Australia

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday unveiled a 15-member squad for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Final against Australia, set to begin on June 11 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

This marks South Africa’s maiden appearance in a WTC Final, after topping the points table with an impressive 69.44% points percentage, a campaign that saw them win 8 out of 12 Tests.

Temba Bavuma will lead the side in this historic showdown, and the Proteas have received a timely boost with the return of fast bowler Lungi Ngidi.

Having recovered from a groin injury that sidelined him during the home season, Ngidi has since proven his fitness in white-ball cricket and international T20 leagues, making a strong case for his selection.

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To accommodate Ngidi’s return, young pacer Kwena Maphaka, who was part of the squad against Pakistan, has been left out, while top-order batter Matthew Breetzke also misses the cut.

South Africa’s batting unit will be powered by Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, and Aiden Markram at the top, followed by a solid middle order featuring captain Bavuma, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.

The Proteas’ pace attack looks formidable with Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, Dane Paterson, and Corbin Bosch joining Ngidi.

The spin department includes Keshav Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy, offering variety and control in English conditions.

South Africa squad for WTC Final against Australia

Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson.

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MELBOURNE: India suffered a major blow to their chances of qualifying for the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) after suffering a thumping defeat in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia here on Monday.

India bundled for 155 with just 12.5 overs left in the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as Australia claimed a thrilling 184-run victory to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

Despite the heavy defeat, India are still in contention for a spot in the WTC final next year at Lord’s. Currently ranked No. 3 on the points table, India holds a Percentage of Points (PCT%) of 52.78, leaving them with a glimmer of hope.

To secure their qualification, India must triumph over Australia in the crucial fifth Test match, which is set to commence on January 3, 2025, at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

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However, India will also need Sri Lanka to achieve victory over Australia in their two-match Test series, scheduled to begin on January 29, 2025, in Galle. A series win for Sri Lanka by either 2-0 or 1-0 would be essential for India’s chances.

If everything falls into place, India could conclude the WTC 2023-25 cycle with a PCT% of 55.26. In this scenario, Australia’s maximum PCT% could rise to 53.51, while Sri Lanka could finish with a maximum of 53.85 PCT%.

However, if India fails to secure a win in the fifth Test against Australia, they would be out of the race for the WTC final, even in case of a draw.

Furthermore, if India manages to overcome Australia in Sydney yet Australia still manages to win at least one Test in their series against Sri Lanka, India would still fall short of qualification.

Meanwhile, South Africa have made history on Sunday by clinching their first-ever place in the WTC final. This achievement came after a thrilling victory over Pakistan by two wickets in the first Test of their two-match series in Centurion.

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India, under the stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, defeated Australia by a massive 295-run margin in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth and claimed the top spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings on Monday.

Australia, while chasing a mountainous 534, crumbled to 238 all out in the final session on day four. A counter-punching Travis Head made a gritty 89 while Mitchell Marsh chipped in with 47.

But it was never going to be enough against an inspired attack led by the irrepressible Bumrah, who took 3-42 to claim eight wickets in the match. He was ably supported by Mohammed Siraj with 3-51.

It was an astonishing turnaround for India, who arrived in Australia on the back of a humiliating 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand. They needed four victories in the five-match series to earn their place in the WTC final.

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With the victory in the Perth Test, India successfully ascended to the top of the WTC standings, boasting a PCT of 61.11 after winning nine out of their 15 matches in the ongoing cycle.

In contrast, Australia, who had previously held the leading position in the WTC standings, fell to second place following this match, now possessing a PCT of 57.69 after securing eight wins out of 13 matches.

However, the win in Perth did not guarantee India a spot in the WTC final. To ensure their place in the final, the Indian team would need to win three out of the remaining four matches during their Australian tour.

A 5-0 clean sweep or a 4-1 victory in the series would provide them with the coveted ticket to the final. In case they fail to achieve these results, their fate will depend on the outcomes of other teams in the championship.

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