The ICC World Test Championship series is an international tournament held every four years, with a start time of May and a finish time of November. The current series features the England and Wales Cricket Association (ECA) against the world champions New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in a three day tournament. Tests have a place at the top of the international rankings and each country’s qualification to the top is determined by its performance in Tests. Participating countries are awarded a points system based on their performance in Tests. The points earned by a team are added up and the team that becomes the holder of the most points wins the tournament.
The current rankings have India top with a score of 70 points over New Zealand and 48 points over England. Both teams have one point lead over the rest, with Australia and Pakistan following on at two and three respectively. Currently, India and Englands sit at the top two places with New Zealand close in third position having played one fewer matches than both teams. One can’t call the current ranking system fair because only two out of the seven teams have reached the semis, and only two out of the seven are currently above the ashes. Some may view this as a format which is benefiting only those teams that are the cream of the crop, but many cricket fans feel that the rankings are skewed too much in favor of the home nations.
There are a number of factors that affect a country’s standing in a tournament such as the ICC World Test Championship. First, the rankings list is based on the performance of teams only. While this may seem okay when considering how short the tournaments are, especially when considering how short the rankings lists are, it can cause problems when considering the possibility of reaching the five-match championship. When a country has only one Test match against an overseas team and then has to go to another country for another five matches, that takes a lot of planning and motivation from the coach and players. The best teams will always be favored over lesser ones, and a lack of motivation is sometimes the downfall of such a team.
There are many more reasons why a country would want to win the test championship. The ranking, which is determined by various factors such as performance, form, and so forth, is important for qualifying for the next world cup. A team that finishes second or third in the qualifying rounds will most likely miss out on the first tournament, while one that finishes top of the ladder will most likely win the next tournament. Therefore, motivation and confidence in one’s own ability are important, and winning the test championship is the best way for a team to boost these feelings.
With so many teams competing for the same trophies, every match becomes a long drawn out affair. Although this may seem like an okay thing to expect, considering how long the four semi-finals and five-round finals usually are, some fans are starting to lose patience. The fact is, that a good performance in this year’s test championship will determine whether or not England qualify for the 2021 tournament. Fans do not have to worry about a possible upset if their team does not win. A team must have a good chance at winning each game if they wish to make it to the top four. This means having a great attitude, as well as performing to the best of their ability.
After all, the last place that a team wants to be is at the bottom of the world test championship. If their team qualifies for this edition, it will be a huge feather in the cap for both captain Andy Flower and his assistants. With excitement rising, ticket sales are already very high for this year’s edition. Cricket fans from all over the world can’t wait to see who will be representing their country in this year’s tournament. Tickets to this year’s event are available online in the UK, and fans have been known to travel great distances just to get a taste of the action.
