5 ways ICC can make the World Test Championship a better tournament
The International Cricket Council (ICC) initiated the World Test Championship (WTC) tournament in 2019. It was an attempt by ICC to make the Test format more relevant and they have been somewhat successful so far. The finals of both editions of WTC played so far have received enormous viewership.
However, not all the cricket fans watching the WTC Final knew how India and Australia made it to the finals. Some who followed the group stage were confused about the points system as well because teams like India, Australia, and England played more matches than other teams.
Here are five ways ICC can make the World Test Championship a better tournament for the fans in the future.
#1 ICC should reward table-toppers with WTC Final hosting rights
At the moment, there is no reward for a team that finishes at the top of the WTC points table after working hard for two years. The top two teams played the final in England on both occasions so far.
Perhaps, ICC could make things more interesting by rewarding the team that finishes first with the hosting rights of the final. Home advantage is a big thing in Test cricket and the team that plays the best in the group deserves to have some extra advantage.
#2 ICC should introduce 10th team and relegation system
12 nations have Test-playing status, but only nine participate in WTC. ICC can introduce either Zimbabwe, Ireland, or Afghanistan as the 10th team. They can also think of adding a relegation system.
Currently, there is no relegation for any of the nine teams irrespective of how badly they perform. If a relegation system is introduced, the teams will always aim to bring their best to the table.
The team that finishes 10th can be relegated to a lower level, and a tri-series involving the three teams of that level can decide which team advances to the next cycle of WTC. It will also give more Test exposure to teams that aren't playing Test cricket regularly.
#3 ICC should organize the final 5 series at the same time
The scheduling of the World Test Championship's last round before the final should be such that all teams play their last match on the same date. This way, ICC can ensure that no team has a clear idea of their qualification scenario well in advance.
Right now, there are nine teams in WTC, but if a 10th team is added, they can run five series at the same time and fans across the world will know which two teams finished at the top.
#4 ICC should organize the finals at the end of the year
The two World Test Championship Finals conducted so far have taken place in June. It is currently tough to understand when the old tournament ends and the new one starts.
Rohit Sharma said, "June isn't the only month we should play the WTC Final. It can be played anywhere in the world and not just England". https://t.co/DdAt6X2C5M
ICC can think of having a January to December system for World Test Championship. For example, January 1, 2024, can be the start date of the new cycle and the finals can be scheduled for December 26-30, 2025.
It is also the season of holidays in a lot of countries, guaranteeing a lot of attention from the fans.
#5 ICC should share special moments and short highlights of World Test Championship group stage matches on social media
ICC regularly shared videos from WTC Final in the form of reels on Instagram and Facebook. Those videos received a huge number of views and likes. Perhaps, ICC can do the same for group-stage matches of the World Test Championship.
The deals with the broadcaster may not allow ICC to post full matches, but the least they can do is post special moments from matches or even short highlights on social media so that fans are aware of what's happening in the tournament.