Remember the Asia Test Championship held in the late 90s and early 2000? When India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka played against each other to show their cricket supremacy in the continent.

The ICC wants the bilateral series more engaging and to make it successful they have come with ICC World Test Championship.

The ICC World Test Championship will start on August 1 this year and will run till June 2021. Nine top test teams (India, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh) will take part in the championship.

So are you wondering how it works? What if the final is tied or a draw, what will happen then? We try to make it simple for you, with point by point explanation of the ICC World Test Series.

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How it will work

The nine top-ranked Test teams will each play six series, three at home and three away, against mutually chosen opponents in the next two years. Every side will face six of the other eight teams, and this isn’t a complete round-robin league. Each series will have between two and five Tests, and not all sides will play the same number of Tests.

The Point System

Each series is worth 120 points, irrespective of the number of Tests in the series. A side can have a maximum of 720 points over a period. The two nations with the most points at the end of the period will contest the final at Lord’s on June 2021 to decide the winner.

The teams playing fewer Tests are not at a disadvantage; the same 120 points will be available from each series. Points will be awarded for Tests, not series, to do away with ‘dead rubbers.’ The 120 points will be split equally among all the Tests in a series.

Matches in series Points for a win Points for a tie Points for a draw 2 60 30 20 3 40 20 13 4 30 15 10 5 24 12 8

Number of Tests to be played by each country

Each team will play against six nations and will miss playing against 2. For Example – India will not play against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Or even if they play against each other during the period, the series will not be included in Test Championship.

New Zealand and England will play against each other in November but will not be counted. The series is on the FTP (Future Test Program), but the results of these games will not affect the World Test Championship. The same is for other bilateral series involving Ireland and Afghanistan.

The final will be played at Lord’s in 2021 and in case of a tie or a draw, the side that finished on top of the table in the two-year league cycle will be declared the champion.

Teams Matches Home Away Not Playing Australia 19 9 v Pak, NZ, Ind 10 v Eng, Ban, SA v SL & WI Bangladesh 14 7 v Aus, NZ, WI 7 v Ind, Pak, SL v Eng & SA England 22 11 v Aus, WI, Pak 11 v SA, SL, Ind v Ban & NZ India 18 10 v SA, Ban, Eng 8 v WI, NZ, Aus v Pak & SL New Zealand 14 7 v Ind, WI, Pak 7 v SL, Aus, Ban v Eng & SA Pakistan 13 6 v SL, Ban, SA 7 v Aus, Eng, NZ v Ind & WI South Africa 16 9 v Eng, SL, Aus 7 v Ind, WI, Pak v Ban & NZ Sri Lanka 13 7 v NZ, Eng, Ban 6 v Pak, SA, WI v Aus & Ind West Indies 15 6 v Ind, SA, SL 9 v Eng, NZ, Ban v Aus & Pak

The Complete Schedule

Australia

July-August-September 2019: Five Ashes Tests away in England

November 2019: Two home Tests against Pakistan

December 2019-January 2020: Three home Tests against New Zealand

February 2020: Two away Tests against Bangladesh

November-December 2020: Four home Tests against India

February-March 2021: Three away Tests against South Africa

Bangladesh

November 2019: Two away Tests in India

January-February 2020: Two away Tests in Pakistan

February 2020: Two home Tests against Australia

July-August 2020: Three away Tests in Sri Lanka

August-September 2020: Two home Tests against New Zealand

January-February 2021: Three home Tests against Windies

England

July-August 2019: Five Ashes Tests at home against Australia

December 2019-January 2020: Four away Tests in South Africa

March 2020: Two away Tests in Sri Lanka

June-July 2020: Three home Tests against Windies

July-August 2020: Three home Tests against Pakistan

January-February 2021: Five away Tests in India

India

July-August 2019: Two away Tests in West Indies

October-November 2019: Three home Tests against South Africa

November 2019: Two home Tests against Bangladesh

February 2020: Two away Tests in New Zealand

December 2020: Four away Tests in Australia

January-February 2021: Five home Tests against England

New Zealand

July-August 2019: Two away Tests in Sri Lanka

December 2019-January 2020: Three away Tests in Australia

February 2020: Two home Tests against India

August-September 2020: Two away Tests in Bangladesh

November-December 2020: Three home Tests against Windies

December 2020: Two home Tests against Pakistan

Pakistan

October 2019: Two home Tests against Sri Lanka

November-December 2019: Two away Tests in Australia

January-February 2020: Two home Tests against Bangladesh

July-August 2020: Three away Tests in England

December 2020: Two away Tests in New Zealand

January-February 2021: Two home Tests against South Africa

Sri Lanka

July-August 2019: Two home Tests against New Zealand

October 2019: Two away Tests against Pakistan

March-April 2020: Two home Tests against England

July-August 2020: Three home Tests against Bangladesh

January 2021: Two away Tests in South Africa

February-March 2021: Two away Tests in West Indies

South Africa

October 2019: Three away Tests in India

December 2019-January 2020 – Four home Tests against England

July-August 2020: Two away Tests in West Indies

January 2021: Two home Tests against Sri Lanka

January-February 2021: Two away Tests against Pakistan

February-March 2021: Three home Tests against Australia

West Indies

July-August 2019: Two home Tests against India

June-July 2020: Three away Tests in England

July-August 2020: Two home Tests against South Africa

November-December 2020: Three away Tests in New Zealand

January-February 2021: Three away Tests in Bangladesh

February-March 2021: Two home Tests in Sri Lanka