When the World Test Championship was first proposed in 2010, it was billed as an annual tournament that would see a group of nations play a long league stage culminating in a final. It was a clear attempt by the ICC to mirror the popular one-day and T20 formats. Its cancellation in 2013 and postponement until 2017 sparked widespread criticism from Greg Chappell and Graeme Smith, and it has been widely viewed as a missed opportunity to enhance the importance of the test format.
This week’s final of the second cycle of the WTC will be contested between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s, the so-called Home of Cricket. The winners will be crowned champions of the world and earn a significant increase in their prize money. Both teams will have prepared for the occasion by playing in the IPL, county cricket in England and practice sessions at home.
The Proteas earned a place in the final after accumulating enough points through series victories against the West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A draw in India and a series whitewash against New Zealand also helped them on their way to London. Meanwhile, Australia’s strong finish to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and a series victory over New Zealand saw them qualify as top of the table.
The fact that both finalists have played wildly different paths to the final is a reminder of the problems with scheduling. Richer countries that play five-Test series can attract huge crowds but also face fixture fatigue, while poorer nations competing in two-Test series benefit from easier opponents and less fixture overload.