Test WTC 2021-23 Draw and Discussion Thread

[BGman]

I am not a pinko but have always favored fairness and equality. So when I see England with 22 matches and the Black Caps that have just won the WTC given a piddling 13 matches.. I have to ask why the discrepancy. All nations should play either a three or four match series.. both home and away. Five match series shared between the big three is frankly, arrogance. Yet again Ireland and Afghanistan have been snubbed for a WTC place. Ireland now is abandoning red ball domestic cricket and who'd blame em.

 

[corbies]

You can almost rule out Australia making the final given all 8 of our away matches are on the subcontinent. If we were serious about winning this you'd reduce the amount of test played in the series v India and increase the amount of test played against WI at home.

That ability to mainpulate it as above is why I was fully against the points system changing from every series being worth the same points to every match being worth the same points.

 

[big_e]

God, the ICC knows how to make things harder than they need to be.

12 Test playing countries - split them into two groups of six, three home tests and three away against each opponent. (You can play more than three in a series but only the first three count for the WTC, and you can play any other team in a non-WTC series.) Cycle could be done in four years.

Semi-finals being Group A winner v Group B runner-up and vice versa. One-off tests, higher ranked team goes through in the event of a draw. One-off final. Done.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

What's the point in Ireland and Afghanistan's Test status if they're not included in this?

 

[corbies]

Please explain.

Okay it's not going to be this simple and I'm assuming no draws in this scenario. Also it's points earned as a percentage of the maximum points that could have been earned that is used to decide the table rather than win percentage but I'm using win percentage for simplicity.

Say the team in 2nd played 22 tests as part of the WTC cycle and won 17 of them. Their win percentage would be 77%. Now say Australia have won 11 of their 15 tests so far with a 2 test series against Bangladesh at home to come. If they win both they go to 13 wins out of 17 which would be a 76% win rate which would see them miss the final. However if they organise another match in the series and win that they go to 14 wins out 18 which is a 78% win rate and they make the final. It can also be done in reverse if you don't want to play games and risk your percentage going down.

In the original WTC points system every series was worth the same so even though the number of matches were uneven the number of series were the same so it meant everyone was playing for the same number of points (until COVID). Blokes like Stuart Broad had a cry that Ashes tests were worth far less than a test v Bangladesh in a shorter series without thinking that it just means all series were worth the same points. COVID ****ed that idea of fairness in the end but if we're back to assuming everyone is going to play 6 series I don't see how the original way of allocating the points was worse than what they're using now.

 

[jle101]

An interesting article...

World Test Championship: Must 'go back to the drawing board' - ICC chairman Greg Barclay

 

[Kyptastic]

Reckon Pakistan are a good chance of making it. Windies Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are probably the easiest teams to play away

 

[magpiemaniac44]

We shouldn't lose a match at home. England away from home are not great and their top order is a rabble. We all know the struggles Windies and South Africa are going through as well. If we go 9/10 wins at home then we might need 3-4 away wins to make it. It'll come down to if we can get our s**t together against mediocre teams in the subcontinent. A small plus side about playing all our away series in Asia is that by the India series we would've had experience on Asian pitches and we'll hopefully know our best team.

 

[Cleavy]

Australia World Test Championship 2021-23 Schedule: Complete Series Details And Updates

Here is the complete schedule of Australia Cricket Team in the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23.

cricfit.com

ICC confirms points system, schedule for WTC | cricket.com.au

A streamlined points system will be introduced for the second World Test Championship, with…

www.cricket.com.au

India in Feb-Mar 2023 seems to be the only change.

 

[Santana]

Why haven't they announced where the final will be? We knew where it was going to be before the start of the last edition.

 

[Park cricketer]

Now I'm no conspiracy theorist but something tells me the ICC wants India and Pakistan to play test cricket for the first time in more than a decade and half, in the WTC final. The viewership ratings will go through the roof if it happens.

 

[Santana]

Now I'm no conspiracy theorist but something tells me the ICC wants India and Pakistan to play test cricket for the first time in more than a decade and half, in the WTC final. The viewership ratings will go through the roof if it happens.

Maybe, but I still reckon Pakistan even with their fixture will blow it and miss the final imo.

This s**t needs to stop though. These two need to play each other in Tests again. It further hurts the credibility of the WTC that these two teams aren't playing each other.

 

[Doss]

So Australia still don’t have an away series in NZ in the next two years? Christ.

 

[corbies]

One thing the WTC has done is basically legitimise that a standard test series is now 2 matches. There are 27 series in the WTC and 17 of them (63%) are 2 match series. The only series that are more than 3 matches are India-Australia (4), England-India and Australia-England (both 5).

Bangladesh are playing all 2 test match series. NZ, Pakistan and WI are only playing the one 3 match series against England. SL also only playing one 3 match series against India.

 

[Fudge Nuggets]

These two match series are rubbish. How on earth was it decided that IND / NZ in IND would only be two matches?

 

[Santana]

These two match series are rubbish. How on earth was it decided that IND / NZ in IND would only be two matches?

It's an advantage for New Zealand for that series to be only 2 matches, so I'm sure deep down they are not that upset about it.

As for the rest of the 2 match series, it's generally not financially feasible for most of these series to play more tests. I generally don't get why so people can't seem to grasp this.

 

[cricketnut14]

It's an advantage for New Zealand for that series to be only 2 matches, so I'm sure deep down they are not that upset about it.

As for the rest of the 2 match series, it's generally not financially feasible for most of these series to play more tests. I generally don't get why so people can't seem to grasp this.

well if most are only 2 test series, can we all play 2 more series each (1 at home and 1 away) , so that we've all played everyone in the 2 year cycle.

it effectively means hosting 2 countries each summer and 2 winter tours.

 

[Santana]

well if most are only 2 test series, can we all play 2 more series each (1 at home and 1 away) , so that we've all played everyone in the 2 year cycle.

it effectively means hosting 2 countries each summer and 2 winter tours.

The Big 3 are never going to shorten their test series against each other because these are some of the only test series that actually make big money. It's one of the main reasons a championship for Test Cricket doesn't really work. At least with the number of teams we have now.

A 2 match Ashes would feel so weird.

 

[cricketnut14]

The Big 3 are never going to shorten their test series against each other because these are some of the only test series that actually make big money. It's one of the main reasons a championship for Test Cricket doesn't really work. At least with the number of teams we have now.

A 2 match Ashes would feel so weird.

i never said for the big 3 to shorten their series - that's not gonna happen.

i was basically saying in australia's case to squeeze in : host bangladesh for 2 and play nz away for 2.
england to host sri lanka for 2 and away in bang for 2 etc etc
then everyone has played everyone in a series in the 2 year cycle.

the next cycle you could reverse the host nations etc.

end of the day, the whole thing is compromised and got more holes in it than swiss cheese.

i mean you have 3 test nations not even competing in this.

why didn't bangladesh get relegated and someone come up etc etc.

 

[Santana]

i never said for the big 3 to shorten their series - that's not gonna happen.

i was basically saying in australia's case to squeeze in : host bangladesh for 2 and play nz away for 2.
england to host sri lanka for 2 and away in bang for 2 etc etc
then everyone has played everyone in a series in the 2 year cycle.

the next cycle you could reverse the host nations etc.

My bad for misunderstanding

I doubt the Cricket authorities have the appetite to squeeze in these series with an already pretty packed calendar.

 

[PhatBoy]

West Indies rocket to the top of the WTC ladder.
And I for one welcome our new Caribbean overlords

 

[footyfan1978]

Was good to get one final done but to me it just a start of this concept.
I want to see top 5 Test nations meet up in England every two years and the WTC finals takes place in England for around month.
Basically run it like the final five series and have it feel like something special over about a month.

Top side of table avoid first week of finals. 2nd rank play 3rd with winner meeting top ranked nation next.
Fourth and Fifth meet up for Elimination. The winner can continue on to next phase and if they continue to knock off next highest ranked Test team they can make the final in their fourth Test in a month.
Top ranked nation gets double chance to make final and can get their in one go after they play the winner of 2 v 3.

Round one of Test finals
2 v 3 (winner ranked second for next round and loser 3rd)
4 v 5 (loser eliminated and finishes 5th in Championship)

4 days break between next round of Test finals

Round two of Test finals
1 v 2 (winner advances to the Final of WTC, loser to Prelim Final for next round)
3 v 4 (loser eliminated and finishes 4th in Championship)

4 days break to the Preliminary Final of Test Championship
2nd ranked plays 3rd ranked based on round two results (loser eliminated and finishes 3rd in Championship, winner advances to final)

5 days break to Final of Test Championship
1 v 2 (Winner wins Test championship, loser runner up)


Five Test nations getting to finals series I think would add a lot more to it and if you 6th or 7th ranked Test in middle of two years cycle you can still feel like making the finals is not out of reach. I think it would make it a lot more interesting overall for Test cricket.
Top ranked team rewarded with advantage over second and third and if you fourth or fifth you going to have to win 3 Tests in a row to make final.
I hope they move towards something like this as the decade moves on.