Rare is the major tournament that does not have a few aggrieved teams wondering what might have been. The 2025 World Test Championship final, staged at Lord’s, was no different.
South Africa’s win, capped off by a Temba Bavuma century, ended 27 years of tournament heartache for the Proteas and was celebrated as a victory for cricket’s “smaller” teams, those outside the so-called Big Three of England, India and Australia. That’s probably a fair assessment.
But the fact that the tournament is an absolute mess, a sticking-plaster that has undermined the credibility of its biannual showpiece, and appears rankly unfair — particularly to teams that play more test cricket and regularly face stronger opponents — makes it hard for any champion to emerge from this mess. That is why Wisden’s Almanack recently excoriated the ICC for what it called a ‘shambles masquerading as a showpiece’.
The problem stems from the way in which the ICC ranks its teams. Under the current system, each team gets 12 points for a win, six for a tie and four for a draw. Richer nations such as Australia, England and India, who often play five-Test series, can find themselves at a disadvantage because those matches are likely to be more high-quality, exciting and profitable.
Other issues include the exclusion of cricket’s full member nations Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, and proposals to add divisions with relegation and promotion. Those proposals were discussed at a recent ICC meeting but no changes have been made.
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