WTC Archives

India’s WTC final hopes ‘extremely slim,’ says former cricketer

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has expressed serious doubts over the national team’s chances of reaching the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 final, following a crushing 0-2 series defeat to South Africa.

The Proteas sealed the series in Guwahati with a commanding 408-run victory, ending a 25-year wait for a Test series win on Indian soil and leaving India reeling on the points table.

The back-to-back defeats mark India’s fourth loss in the current WTC cycle, dropping them to fifth place with a points percentage of 48.15.

With just nine Tests remaining in the cycle, India are not scheduled to play another Test until they tour Sri Lanka in August 2026.

Their remaining fixtures include an away series in New Zealand and a five-Test home series against Australia in 2027.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra admitted that India’s qualification scenario looks bleak.

He highlighted the improbability of a 5-0 home sweep against Australia, which would be necessary to significantly boost India’s points tally.

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“We’re currently fifth in the WTC standings, and I don’t believe we’ll make it to the final. If we qualify, it will be a miracle,” Chopra said.

“We have an upcoming series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, New Zealand in New Zealand, and then five Tests against Australia at home.

“Winning all five matches against Australia seems almost impossible. With less than 50 percent of the points, it’s not looking great for us.”

South Africa’s series triumph propelled them to second place with a points percentage of 75, while Australia continue to lead the table with a perfect 100 percent, having won all four of their matches.

Sri Lanka occupy third with 66.67 percent, followed by Pakistan at 50 percent.

India now face a steep challenge, needing to win the majority of their remaining fixtures just to have a realistic chance of making the WTC final in 2027.

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WTC points table after South Africa’s series win over India

GUWAHATI: Defending world champions South Africa delivered a commanding statement in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 by crushing India in the second Test on Wednesday to seal a historic 2-0 series victory.

The result not only reshaped the WTC points table but also marked South Africa’s first Test series triumph on Indian soil since the year 2000 and only their second overall in the country’s history.

Led by Temba Bavuma, the Proteas rewrote history with a dominant performance across the series.

With this win, South Africa surged to second place in the WTC standings with three wins and one defeat, collecting 36 points at an impressive win percentage of 75.

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Australia continue to lead the WTC points table after winning all four of their matches, sitting comfortably on 48 points with a perfect 100 percent record.

India, meanwhile, slipped to fifth place following back-to-back defeats in the series. The Men in Blue now have four wins, four losses and one draw from nine matches, accumulating 52 points with a win percentage of 48.15.

Pakistan currently occupy fourth position with one win and one defeat from two Tests, holding 12 points at a 50 percent win rate, while Sri Lanka sit third with one win and one draw from two games, earning 16 points with a win percentage of 66.67.

ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table:

Team	Matches	Won	Lost	Draw	Points	Win%
Australia	4	4	0	0	48	100
South Africa	4	3	1	0	36	75
Sri Lanka	2	1	0	1	16	66.67
Pakistan	2	1	1	0	12	50
India	9	4	4	1	52	48.15

The second Test ended in emphatic fashion as South Africa bowled out India for just 140 while defending a massive target of 549 on the final day.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer starred with remarkable figures of 6 for 37, dismantling India’s batting lineup.

Ravindra Jadeja offered brief resistance with a fighting 54 before being stumped off Keshav Maharaj, who also took the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj.

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Former Indian cricketer predicts tough WTC defence for South Africa

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes defending champions South Africa face an uphill task in qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2027 final.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra assessed the Proteas’ fixtures in the current cycle and said their schedule leaves little margin for error.

“Australia, England, and Bangladesh are South Africa’s home series. Australia and England will be tough, and they will beat Bangladesh,” he said.

Their away assignments against India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, all in the subcontinent, were identified as the biggest challenge.

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“All three of their away series are in the subcontinent. They will find it difficult to even draw those series. In my opinion, South Africa might not qualify [for the WTC final]. There’s a good chance they won’t,” Aakash Chopra added.

The cricketer-turned-analyst said Bangladesh would be South Africa’s easiest opponent in the cycle, while fixtures against England and New Zealand could still be tricky.

“They will 100 percent win against Bangladesh. They should win against New Zealand. They should win against England as well. However, it’s a five-match series, so they are unlikely to get full points,” he explained.

South Africa are the reigning WTC champions, having defeated Australia by five wickets at Lord’s in the 2023-25 final, their first ICC title since winning the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998.

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Pakistan set for division two in proposed new Test cricket structure: reports

The Pakistan cricket team is likely to be headed to Division Two of the newly proposed Test structure, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering a radical change to the longest format of the game, according to a report from a British news outlet.

According to the report, the teams are set to be divided into divisions based on the current ICC Test rankings. Division one could most likely involve the World Test Champions (WTC) South Africa, New Zealand, India, England, and Australia.

Meanwhile, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland are set to be included in Division Two.

The ICC formed an eight-member team to finalize the proposed changes to the board by the end of 2025. The decision was taken during the first annual general meeting (AGM) held in Singapore under the newly appointed all-Indian leadership.

The proposed changes will take effect for the upcoming World Test Championship cycle, scheduled to run from 2027 to 2029. The revamped Two-tier Test system will involve an expansion from the present nine-team format to two divisions of six.

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Sanjog Gupta, ICC’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO), will lead an eight-member working group alongside the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) chief executives.

However, the radical change will require the support of a two-thirds majority of the ICC’s 12 full members, as well as addressing challenges to the procedure regarding promotion and relegation between divisions.

Moreover, increased financial support will also be required for countries featured in Division Two.

For the unversed, the newly proposed two-division concept of Test cricket first emerged from meetings between CA and the ECB during the women’s Ashes last January.

CA has notably backed the Two-tier Test system, suggesting that Australia, England, and India should play against each other twice every three years, rather than the current format of two series every four years.

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ICC confirms England as host of WTC finals until 2031

SINGAPORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday announced that England will host the upcoming editions of the World Test Championship (WTC) final until 2031.

The WTC decision was taken during the ICC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Singapore where several key resolutions were taken.

The decision to hand over the hosting rights to England was made in light of the successful hosting of previous editions of the WTC finals. England has previously hosted the inaugural 2021 edition, as well as the 2023 and 2025 editions.

For the unversed, South Africa is the current holder of the ICC WTC title, having defeated the defending champions Australia in the final held at the iconic Lord’s in the previous month.

WTC final venues and winners so far:

1) New Zealand, 2021 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton

2) Australia, 2023 at The Oval, London

3) South Africa, 2025 at Lord’s, London

The ICC has also made a decision regarding Afghanistan’s women’s cricket. To support displaced women cricketers of Afghan descent, the ICC is providing valuable engagement opportunities at various events.

This includes the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, the T20 World Cup in England next year, and access to high-performance programs and domestic playing opportunities.

The initiative is being advanced through a collaborative effort led by the ICC under the supervision of Deputy Chair Mr Imran Khwaja, in collaboration with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Cricket Australia (CA).

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Apart from that, the ICC also announced the global winners of the 2024 ICC Development Awards during its annual AGM meeting.

The initiative, launched in 2002, celebrates the innovation and growth of the sport worldwide. Bhutan, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Scotland, Tanzania, the USA, and Vanuatu are the eight Members receiving top honours.

At the annual meeting, the ICC also welcomed two new Members, with the Timor Leste Cricket Federation and the Zambia Cricket Union being included as Associate Members, bringing the ICC’s total membership to 110.

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Rishabh Pant breaks plethora of records with fiery ton against England

LEEDS: India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant has broken multiple records with a blazing century in the opening match of the five-match Test series against England.

With a century at the iconic Headingley, the left-handed batter surpassed MS Dhoni, former Indian captain record of most Test centuries (6) as a wicketkeeper batter for India.

Apart from this record, Rishabh Pant also became the first visiting wicketkeeper to score three centuries in England, while no other keeper has more than one hundred on English soil.

Rishab Pant’s 134-run knock featuring half a dozen sixes also took him past Rohit Sharma’s tally of most maximums in the ICC World Test Championship.

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Previously, Sharma had smashed 56 sixes in 40 matches while Rishab Pant has 58 maximums in just 35 matches. In addition to this, the southpaw further strengthened his record as the most prolific batter in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).

The 27-year-old now has 1,746 runs in SENA nations at an impressive average of 38.80 from 27 Tests, overtaking MS Dhoni.

Rishab Pant continued to showcase his dominance against England by scoring an impressive century, making 134 runs off 178 balls at a strike rate of 75.28, an innings peppered with six maximums and 12 boundaries.

With the left-hander’s valuable contribution, Team India propelled to a commanding first-innings total of 471 runs.

Notably, this century marked Pant’s fourth Test hundred against England, setting a new world record for the most Test centuries by a wicketkeeper against them.

He surpassed the previous joint record of three centuries held by Tom Latham, Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy, and Brad Haddin.

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No Pakistani player named in Rashid Latif’s WTC Team of the Tournament

Former captain Rashid Latif has revealed his ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 Team of the Tournament, and it features some of the biggest names in world cricket, but not a single Pakistani cricketer.

Latif shared his XI on X (formerly Twitter), selecting South Africa’s title-winning skipper Temba Bavuma as captain and Kyle Verreynne as the wicketkeeper.

The opening duties go to India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Australia’s Usman Khawaja.

Jaiswal was a revelation for India, piling up 1,798 runs at an average of 52.88 with four centuries. Khawaja, the rock of Australia’s top order, followed with 1,428 runs at 39.66.

WTC 23-25
Team of Tournament
Vashasvi Jaiswal
Usman Khawaja
Joe Root
Temba Bavuma Captain
Harry Brook
Kamindu Mendis
Kyle Verreynne WK
Nathan Lyon
Matt Henry
KG Rabada
Jasprit Bumrah pic.twitter.com/WGuxwN0YC8

— Rashid Latif | 🇵🇰 (@iRashidLatif68) June 18, 2025

At No. 3, Rashid Latif named England’s Joe Root, who led the WTC run charts with a staggering 1,968 runs at 54.66, including seven centuries, underlining his class yet again.

The middle order is a mix of resilience and flair. Bavuma gets the nod not just for his leadership but also for guiding South Africa to their first ICC title in over two decades.

He’s joined by England’s Harry Brook (1,463 runs) and Sri Lanka’s rising star Kamindu Mendis, who impressed with 1,123 runs at a phenomenal 62.38 average.

Latif’s bowling attack blends guile and firepower. Nathan Lyon (66 wickets) is the lone specialist spinner, joined by pace trio Matt Henry (48 wickets), Kagiso Rabada, and Jasprit Bumrah.

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The Indian pacer bowled brilliantly during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, bagging 32 wickets and the Player of the Series award. Bumrah finished the WTC cycle with 77 scalps, just behind Pat Cummins’ 80.

The final itself was a historic moment for South Africa. They stunned Australia at Lord’s, chasing down 282 runs to clinch their maiden WTC title.

Bavuma and Aiden Markram led with the bat, while the bowlers turned the screws in the second innings to spark emotional scenes for a side still chasing white-ball redemption.

Pakistan, meanwhile, ended the WTC cycle at the bottom of the table, winning just five of 14 Tests, which perhaps explains their absence from Latif’s elite XI.

Rashid Latif WTC 2023–25 Team of the Tournament: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Temba Bavuma (c), Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Nathan Lyon, Matt Henry, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah.

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ICC set to back four-day Tests in 2027 WTC cycle

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is likely to approve four-day Tests for the 2027-2029 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, aiming to support smaller nations.

The current WTC cycle, which commenced today with the match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, is limited to five-day Test matches.

During the 2025-27 WTC cycle, there will be only 27 Test series among the nine countries. These series will comprise 17, which are just two matches long, while a three-match Test series will be played six times.

Among the countries, India, England and Australia will face each other in a five-match Test series.

The idea of playing four-day Tests in the next cycle was perceived in the recently concluded WTC final. ICC Chairman Jay Shah threw his support behind the idea.

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However, the highly anticipated series involving England, Australia, and India — such as the Ashes, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the newly introduced Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy — will retain the five-day format.

It is worth noting that the ICC initially permitted four-day Tests for bilateral contests in 2017. The previous month, England faced Zimbabwe in a one-off four-day historic Test at Trent Bridge.

The notion of four-day Tests emerged after South Africa’s recent triumph over Australia, who lost their title defence by five wickets, a match that ended on the fourth day.

According to the report, many small nations are hesitant to host Tests due to the time frame, as well as financial woes. Meanwhile, with four-day Tests, the schedule could be shortened to a less than three-week timeframe.

The four-day Test match conditions feature 98 overs per day, in contrast to 90 overs in the five-day match, with an extended time to complete the overs.

The proposed decision could benefit Test-playing nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies by allowing them to play more Test matches in an otherwise packed schedule

READ: Bangladesh dominate as Shanto, Mushfiqur hit tons against Sri Lanka

Former cricketer slams Josh Hazlewood for prioritising IPL over WTC final

Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson has launched a scathing attack on fast bowler Josh Hazlewood for returning to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 just before the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Josh Hazlewood, returned to the resumed IPL after recovering from a shoulder niggle during the final phase of the tournament and helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in clinching their maiden title in 18 years.

IPL 2025 was suspended for a week during the border tensions between India and Pakistan.

The pacer was instrumental in RCB’s maiden title, taking 22 wickets from just 12 matches.

Now, Johnson raised doubts over Hazlewood’s fitness, stating that his decision to prefer the IPL has sparked speculation.

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“We have seen concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows. Lyon didn’t look his best on day three either,” Mitchell Johnson said.

The pacer also criticised Australia’s bowling quartet, noting that they are not an automatic selection in the team.

“Our successful ‘big four’ bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon can’t be taken for granted as a lock going forward either,” Johnson said.

Mitchell Johnson highlighted the looming Ashes set to be played at the end of this year while questioning the rationale behind benching some of the in-form players.

“If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that’s the right mindset. It’s crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players.

“Players on the fringe, such as Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis, and Scott Boland, despite being 36, have a different mentality. They’re eager to prove themselves every time they get a chance,” he concluded.

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Here’s how much Pakistan will earn from WTC 2023–25

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