ICC World Test Championship: All You Need to Know About The Schedule

As the ICC World Cup 2019 has been done and dusted, all the focus has been shifted to the ICC World Test Championship; which is scheduled to begin from the August 1 between the arch-rivals, England and Australia. As people have been losing their interest from the bilateral series, International Cricket Council (ICC) has come up with the idea of World Test Championship. Despite having tried to start this earlier in 2013 and 2017, this is finally going to take place and will run till 2021.

Top nine ranked teams will play against each other in this two-year-long tournament. In the end, the top two teams will take on each other in the final. The participating teams are- Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh. Although, Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe will not be featured in this tournament.

During this period, the nine teams will be played a total of 27 series which included three away series and three home series. However, the total number of series is not fixed. Each team will have to play a minimum of two Tests and a maximum of five Tests. Every series will be comprised of 120 points where a team can score a maximum of 720 points. Moreover, each team will not face a couple of teams in this cycle as well.

However, other Tests will be played in this two-year-long period which will not be a part of the ICC World Championship like England tour to New Zealand for two Tests in November this year.

While England and Australia will begin their ICC World Test Championship with the Ashes, India will take on West Indies first. On the other hand, New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in their first Test of the tournament. Whereas Pakistan and Pakistan will begin their tournament in October, Bangladesh will start in November against India.

Full Schedule:

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

Will Not Face: Pakistan and Sri Lanka

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

Will Not Face: England and 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

Will Not Face: Bangladesh and New Zealand

England – 22 Tests (11 Home Tests and 11 Away Tests)

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

Will Not Face: Bangladesh and New Zealand

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

Will Not Face: Sri Lanka and West Indies

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

Will Not Face: Australia and India

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

Will Not Face: India and 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

Will Not Face: Australia and Pakistan

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 West Indies

Will Not Face: England and South Africa