The ICC’s World Test Championship has been a success, creating a more structured way of playing the longest form of cricket. The competition has been lauded for its ability to draw crowds to stadiums around the world and for its role in increasing the value of the Test mace. But there are detractors, and many of them are from England. The ECB has a strong aversion to a two-division format, fearing they might miss lucrative rivalries with Australia and India. They also oppose an increase in over-rate penalties, arguing that they penalise players too harshly and can have a negative impact on Test standards.
There’s no denying that the World Test Championship has been a success in bringing crowds back to the game, with both of the finals – between New Zealand and Australia in 2021 and Australia and South Africa in 2023 – being held in sell-out conditions in Southampton and The Oval. But the competition has come under a torrent of criticism, with Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack’s Lawrence Booth branding this week’s final as “a shambles masquerading as a showpiece”.
The criticisms have been numerous, from the scheduling (which saw the Proteas play fewer than the four other top teams in the championship) to a points system that is not well-balanced. But perhaps the most stinging attack has been over the fact that this is the only WTC final to have a reserve day scheduled – a nod to a bygone era of so-called ‘timeless Tests’ and an admission that England’s summer can be fickle.
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