Test cricket is set for a shake up with a new ranking system to come in place as of 2019, changing the foundation of how the traditional game is played.
The new structure will commence with the 2019 Ashes on the 15th of July to the 30 of April 2021. The top 9 ranked cricketing nations of Australia, New Zealand, England, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and The West Indies competing over a two year season, each playing 6 home and away series.
The first month of the new tournament is set to start with a bang. Not only is England hosting the Aussies, The Windies are hosting India and Sri Lanka hosting New Zealand (both being 2 match series) making the perfect start to the new tournament.
For fans of the traditional game, it’s exciting that Test Cricket hasn’t been disregarded for what is classed as “more entertaining cricket” such as One day and most of all T20. With every test having meaning now not only will it keep fans engaged but also players knowing something is on the line each match.
Playing only 9 of the 12 full ICC members has yet to be explained. Why have a Test Cricket Tournament without all the members? Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will still play against the tournament teams but these results will not count towards the championship but to only the Test rankings themselves. Which also leaves the question, why is there the need for Test rankings if there is a tournament to decide who is the best? When will all 12 teams be added to the tournament? These are the questions that need to be answered in the next 12 months leading up the the tournament.
With the scoring system being confirmed by the ICC recently at the annual meeting of the Chief Executives (CEC). Each series will be played for a total of 120 points and it will be divided by the number of matches. For example, a 2 match series with the score line 1-1 will see both teams walk away with 60 points each, or a 3 match series with the score line 2-1 would see the series winner walk away with 80 points to the losing sides 40. However, a drawn test would see a third of the points awarded to both teams and in the rare case of a tie would see both teams get half the match allocated points. This will create an emphasis on winning the match rather than playing for a draw on the last day. With these scoring rules, the introduction of a 4 day matches will be less likely as it would see less matches with the full point allocation being awarded as draws will be more likely especially with rain to be accounted for.
Series Scoring System
| Length of Series (Matches) | Win | Draw | Tie | Loss |
| 2 | 60 | 20 | 30 | 0 |
| 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 20 | 0 |
| 4 | 30 | 10 | 15 | 0 |
| 5 | 24 | 8 | 12 | 0 |
Tournament Winner Predictor
England vs Australia 5 matches: 3-1
England: 80p
Australia: 32p
Bold Prediction: Jimmy Anderson to be man of the series and will retire
It all begins here…
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 2 matches: 1-0
Sri Lanka: 80p
New Zealand: 20p
Bold Prediction: Sri Lanka’s right-arm seamer Kasun Rajitha will bowl Sri Lanka to victory in the last match
West Indies vs India 2 matches: 0-2
West Indies: 0p
India: 120p
Bold Prediction: Virat Kohli to score 3 hundreds in the series
India vs South Africa 3 matches: 1-2
India: 40p
South Africa: 80p
Bold Prediction: Faf Du Plessis will out score Virat Kohli in the series
A captains battle
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2 matches: 1-1
Pakistan: 60p
Sri Lanka: 60p
Bold Prediction: Both matches to be decided by less than 100 runs or less than 2 wickets
Australia vs Pakistan 2 matches: 2-0
Australia: 120p
Pakistan 0p
Bold Prediction: Australia will only get bowled out in one innings for the whole series
India vs Bangladesh 2 matches: 1-0
India: 80p
Bangladesh: 20p
Bold prediction: Ravindra Jadeja to be the difference in the first test to win
South Africa vs England 4 matches: 3-1
South Africa: 90p
England: 30p
Bold Prediction: Ben Stokes will be England’s leading wicket taker for the tour
Australia vs New Zealand 3 matches: 1-1
Australia: 53.3
New Zealand: 53.3
Bold Prediction: Matthew Renshaw to score two hundreds in the first test
Pakistan vs Bangladesh 2 matches: 2-0
Pakistan: 120p
Bangladesh: 0p
Bold Prediction: Pakistan will one of the test by at least 200 runs
Bangladesh vs Australia 2 matches: 1-1
Bangladesh: 60p
Australia: 60p
Bold Prediction: Australia will score less than 20p in their first innings of the series
New Zealand vs India 2 matches: 0-2
New Zealand: 0p
India: 120p
Bold Prediction: Colin de Grandhomme will average 80 with the ball in the first test
Sri Lanka vs England 2 matches: 2-0
Sri Lanka: 120p
England: 0p
Bold Prediction: Sri Lanka will have England’s batting coaches with 60% of England’s dismissals against spin
England vs West Indies 3 matches: 2-0
England: 53.3p
West Indies: 13.3
Bold Prediction: Jason Holder’s 6 wicket haul and half century in the first innings of the second match will be washed away into a draw
England vs Pakistan 3 matches: 1-2
England: 40p
Pakistan: 80p
Bold Prediction: Bowlers paradise as neither team score above 400 for the series
Pakistan taking world number 1 in 2016 at Lord
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 3 matches: 2-1
Sri Lanka: 80p
Bangladesh: 40p
Bold Prediction: Bangladesh will win the first test by 1 innings but Sri Lanka win rest of series convincingly
West Indies vs South Africa 2 matches: 0-2
West Indies: 0p
South Africa: 120p
Bond Prediction: West Indies will have a series total of less than 600 runs
Bangladesh vs New Zealand 2 matches: 2-0
Bangladesh: 120p
New Zealand: 0p
Bold Prediction: Shakib al Hasan to total 200+ runs and 10 wickets for the series
New Zealand vs West Indies 3 matches: 1-1
New Zealand: 53.3
West Indies: 53.3
Bold Prediction: Both game to be a blow out
Trent Bolt should be appreciated more in the Test cricket scene than he is
Australia vs India 3 matches: 1-2
Australia: 40p
India: 80p
Steve Smith and Virat Kohli to battle it out again both averaging 70+ for the series
New Zealand vs Pakistan 2 matches: 2-0
New Zealand: 120p
Pakistan:0
Bold Prediction: Tim Southee and Trent Bolt will combine for 20+ wickets for the series
Bangladesh vs West Indies 3 matches: 0-2
Bangladesh: 13.3
West Indies: 93.3
Bold Prediction: Glimpses of the West Indies glory days return on this tour
India vs England 5 matches: 3-2
India: 72
England: 48
Bold Prediction: England to win first 2 matches before a galiant fight back in the final 3 tests see India win the series
Pakistan vs South Africa 2 matches: 1-1
Pakistan: 60p
South Africa: 60p
Bold Prediction: Only on one occasion will each team score 400 runs giving them the win
South Africa vs Sri Lanka 2 matches: 2-0
South Africa: 120p
Sri Lanka: 0p
Bold Prediction: South Africa come out blazing and both test end in 4 days knowing they have 3 series in two months
West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2 matches: 0-1
West Indies: 20p
Sri Lanka: 80p
Bold Prediction: Batsmen’s paradise, flat tracks see over 2000 runs scored for the series
South Africa vs Australia 2 matches: 1-1
South Africa: 60p
Australia: 60p
Bold prediction: Fired up Aussie side in first series since the ball tampering scandal, blow away South Africa by 120 runs in the first test setting up an enthralling second test
Fierce battle to rage on the first series since the sandpaper
| Ranking | Team | Score |
| 1 | South Africa | 530 |
| 2 | India | 512 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 420 |
| 4 | Australia | 365.3 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 320 |
| 6 | Bangladesh | 265.3 |
| 7 | England | 251.3 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 246.6 |
| 9 | West Indies | 179.9 |
The final will be played on the 10-14th of June 2021, between the top 2 teams. The venue has not yet been confirmed but rumors have Lords tipped as the likely location. Based off the scoring system and all the series, it is predicted that South Africa and India will be the outstanding teams. The scoring system is a great start but over the next few season we will hopefully see alterations in case of weather drawn matches especially over 5 match series teams aren’t penalized for an out of hand result. Another alternative would be to see everyone play the same amount of series with the same amount of test, such as everyone playing 1, 5 matches series, 1, 4 match series, 2, 3 match series and 2, 2 match series. Also see all teams play each other once as it would caused a greater determination of the performance of each team and create an evenness across all teams with no team being advantaged or disadvantaged by playing a higher or lower ranked team.
The championship the right step forward for the success of the great game of Test Cricket. Nothing is perfect from the start, with the inclusion of the remaining test nation, all teams playing each other in the tournament and an even amount of total matches played per country will see the championship thrive for a better and more exciting future of Test Cricket.
-Alec Coupe
