UPSC Prelims 2021 Q100: ICC World Test Championship Ranking Explained
Consider the following statements in respect of the ICC World Test Championship:
1. The finalists were decided by the number of matches they won.
2. New Zealand was ranked ahead of England because it won more matches than England.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — The two finalists of the 2019–21 WTC were picked by Percentage of Points earned (PCT), not by the number of matches won. In November 2020, after COVID-19 cancelled several series, the ICC switched the ranking to points won divided by points contested and expressed as a percentage. India (72.2%) and New Zealand (70.0%) finished first and second and played the final at Southampton in June 2021.
- 2: incorrect — New Zealand did not win more matches than England. New Zealand won 7 of 11 Tests, while England won 11 of 21. New Zealand ranked ahead (second, at 70.0%) because its percentage of points was higher than England's 61.4% (fourth).
How to eliminate
Basic knowledge helps a lot here. Teams in the WTC play different numbers of Tests: England play many more Tests than New Zealand in any cycle. A raw count of wins would therefore be unfair, so Statement 1 should look doubtful even if you do not know the rule. Statement 2 rests on the same 'more wins' logic, and England playing more Tests than New Zealand makes it unlikely too. If you are sure the ranking was by percentage of points, both statements fall together. To settle it with certainty you need one fact: the 2019–21 table was ranked by Percentage of Points (PCT), adopted in November 2020, and England (11 wins) had more wins than New Zealand (7).
Know more
How the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) ranks teams
The WTC is the ICC's league for the top nine Test sides. Each cycle runs about two years and ends in a one-off final. The first cycle ran from August 2019 to June 2021. In that final, New Zealand beat India by 8 wickets at the Rose Bowl, Southampton (18–23 June 2021).
- Original rule (2019): each series was worth 120 points, split equally among its matches. A win in a 2-Test series was worth 60 points, and a win in a 5-Test series was worth 24.
- November 2020 change: COVID-19 cancelled several series, so teams ended up with very unequal schedules. The ICC began ranking teams by Percentage of Points (PCT), which is points earned ÷ points contested × 100.
- From the 2021–23 cycle: each match is worth the same, with 12 for a win, 6 for a tie and 4 for a draw. Ranking is still by PCT.
Final 2019–21 standings (top four)
| Rank | Team | Matches | Won | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 17 | 12 | 72.2% |
| 2 | New Zealand | 11 | 7 | 70.0% |
| 3 | Australia | 14 | 8 | 69.2% |
| 4 | England | 21 | 11 | 61.4% |
Takeaway: in a percentage system, playing more matches does not help a team. What counts is the share of available points it converts. That is why New Zealand finished ahead of England despite winning 4 fewer Tests. When a question claims a ranking was decided by matches won, check whether the tournament uses a percentage or ratio method.
In the news
The first WTC final was played in June 2021, about four months before the October 2021 Prelims, and India was one of the finalists. The ICC's mid-cycle switch to Percentage of Points had also been widely debated, because it changed which teams qualified.