World Test Championship

[Donny]

ICC Test Championship media release: Australia targets top spot in Test table
ICC Media Release - 9 April 2003
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Australia can move back to the top of the ICC Test Championship if it wins the Cable and Wireless series against West Indies which begins on Thursday 10th April.

Having asserted its dominance of the One-Day International game last month by retaining the ICC Cricket World Cup without losing a match, Australia can now focus on overhauling South Africa at the top of the Test rankings.

A series win for Australia will boost its points tally to 21 from 13 series, taking its average up to 1.62 which is crucially 0.03 higher than South Africa's current average.

West Indies currently lies seventh in the ICC Test Championship with an average of 0.88. If Brian Lara's team can win the series it will boost this average to 0.94, taking West Indies above India to sixth place in the table.

The last time Australia toured the Caribbean in 1999 the series was drawn 2-2. A tie this time around will see both sides retain their current positions in the table.

ICC Test Championship Table, 9th April 2003



Team Played Won Lost Drawn Points Average
South Africa 17 13 3 1 27 1.59
Australia 13 9 2 2 20 1.54
New Zealand 17 8 5 4 20 1.18
Sri Lanka 16 8 6 2 18 1.13
England 16 6 6 4 16 1.00
India 15 5 6 4 14 0.93
West Indies 17 7 9 1 15 0.88
Pakistan 16 4 8 4 12 0.75
Zimbabwe 16 3 11 2 8 0.50
Bangladesh 7 - 7 - 0 -

At a meeting in Johannesburg 22nd March, the ICC Board agreed a new format for the ICC Test Championship which recognises the rewards and result of each Test match played.

The new system will be introduced from the beginning of June and further details will be announced prior to this official launch date.

[Donny]

By winning the just completed third Test against the West Indies, Australia regains the Test Champions Trophy.

[Fradam]

should never have lost it in the first place. I'm glad the injustice is now erased.

[The Prototype]

You know, they should have a play off for the that cup, then we will know who the best Test team actually is. You know like, have a play off game. the 2 top teams play off for rights to hold the cup up at the end of the test year. Sure it may sound weird, but it would end alot of the unfairness in someways. Becuase, say South Africa's test's get cancelled becasue of some Terrorist threat and Australia walked away with the cup, it wouldn't really be a "victory" although Australia is playing great cricket and would probarly win it anyways. I just thought that the 2 best Nations should play off just like the AFL Grand Final, bring some excitement into the final test of the year. It's not like 1 more test is going to be all that bad, it could actually make the cup like the World Cup and have it so us the fans could get to see the 2 best nations play off, instead of waiting months to see it either in Australia, or in their country. See it would then eliminate the chance of the teams ending up on the same amount of points (which would probarly be highly unlikely)

That's just my personal opinion though, I would find it interesting, if not a good idea in the long run.

[HAL]

Okay. . . . . . But it might not, right? That makes sense to me. "South Africa's test's get cancelled because of some Terrorist threat and Australia walked away with the cup it wouldn't really be a victory although Australia is playing great cricket and would probarly win it anyways"I see. Tell me more about it.

[Donny]

M8, there was a 'play-off' recently. Couldn't have been fairer. Three Tests in Oz. Three Tests in SA.

Overall, Australia won 5/1.

A 'one off' Test will not necessarily prove anything as the result can be influenced heavily by the toss and who gets first use of the wicket.

I think most cricket followers find the present system ridiculous or at least hard to understand.

[HAL]

What did you do today?

[Donny]

ICC Test Championship Table
[ as at 7 May 2003 ]

Team Played Won Lost Drawn Points Average
1 South Africa 18 14 3 1 29 1.61
2 Australia 13 9 2 2 20 1.54
3 New Zealand 17 8 4 5 21 1.24
4 Sri Lanka 16 7 6 3 17 1.06
5 England 16 6 6 4 16 1.00
6 India 15 5 6 4 14 0.93
7 West Indies 17 7 9 1 15 0.88
8 Pakistan 16 4 8 4 12 0.75
9 Zimbabwe 16 3 11 2 8 0.50
- Bangladesh 8 - 8 - 0 -

Although Australia have won the series against the Windies, it will not register until the series is completed. At that point, Australia will go to an average of 1.62 and ahead of South Africa.

[HAL]

I see.

[Donny]

Australia no.1 Test team
AAP - 6 May 2003 - 6 May 2003

Australia has regained its No.1 status in world cricket - by the thinnest margin.

Australia's series win over the West Indies in Barbados lifted it back to the top of the ICC Test championship table over South Africa.

Australia is four-thousandths of a point ahead of the Proteas on average points and is poised to go further ahead.

When it won 2-0 in Bangladesh recently, South Africa became the only side in world cricket to have completed a full quota of home and away series, 18.

South Africa has won 14, drawn one and lost three of its series, with two of three losses against Australia.

It has a total of 29 points.

Until every team completes 18 series, the ICC works out its table on average points, which leaves the Proteas with an average of 1.611.

Australia has won 10 of 13 series with one draw - against New Zealand at home in 2001-02 - for 21 points at an average of 1.615.

Australia will almost certainly pick up two points when it hosts Bangladesh later this year in Darwin and Cairns and will start to surge ahead of South Africa once it completes its 18-series program.

Australia still needs to play home and away against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe - the two worst teams in world cricket - and also has to host a series against Sri Lanka, which it last did in 1995-96, before the start date for the championship table.

Wins in all of those series would give Australia 31 points, leaving it handily clear of South Africa.

Australia's two series losses were away to Sri Lanka in 1999 and India in 2001 and it gets a chance to offset those results when it tours both sub-continental countries next year.

Only the most recent home away results between two countries count towards the standings.

[Donny]

ICC Test Championship Table
[ as at 13 May 2003 ]

Team Played Won Lost Drawn Points Average
1 Australia 13 10 2 1 21 1.62
2 South Africa 18 14 3 1 29 1.61
3 New Zealand 17 8 4 5 21 1.24
4 Sri Lanka 16 7 6 3 17 1.06
5 England 16 6 6 4 16 1.00
6 India 15 5 6 4 14 0.93
7 West Indies 17 7 10 - 14 0.82
8 Pakistan 16 4 8 4 12 0.75
9 Zimbabwe 16 3 11 2 8 0.50
- Bangladesh 8 - 8 - 0 -


Archive: ICC Test Championship 2002
Points System:

2 - series win
1 - series draw
0 - series loss

Information:

Sides ranked on average (points divided by series played).
Only series consisting of two Tests or more are counted.
The most recent series between the two sides, home and away, are counted.
The initial table was constructed only considering series starting during or after the initial five-year cut-off date of May 1996. Thereafter series replace one another under the ICC ten-year programme with no fixed cut-off period.
If, for any reason, a scheduled series is not played or completed, no points will be awarded. This decision has been taken to act as an incentive for members to fulfil all fixtures.
Bangladesh will not be allocated an average score until they have completed nine Test series of the maximum 18. This is expected to be completed in April 2003.
The table will revert to a straight points system once every side has played each other home and away. This is expected to be completed in 2005.
The leading side will hold the ICC Test Championship trophy, produced in silver and gold by Asprey & Garrard and valued at more than £30,000. The trophy will automatically pass from leader to leader.
If two sides are tied at the top of the table the holder will retain the ICC Test Championship trophy.

Next Series To Be Completed:

England (5th) v Zimbabwe (9th), 2 Tests, May-June 2003
Format of the ICC Test Championship to change prior to the start of this series. Details to be posted on this page soon.