World Test Championship set to resume amid uncertain outlook

India are currently on top of the WTC Points Table 

The World Test Championship (WTC) was supposed to usher in a brave new world for cricket’s longest format but a fixture backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic means organisers have tough choices to make if the final is to go ahead as planned at Lord’s next June.

The most pressing issue for the governing International Cricket Council (ICC) is what to do about the six Test series, including four involving Bangladesh, that have been postponed or cancelled because of the pandemic.
The two finalists were supposed to have been identified by March next year but there seems little chance those fixtures can be shoehorned into the tight schedule with Test cricket still on hold in South East Asia due to COVID-19.

The ICC said last month it was consulting with member nations on the way forward but that it remained committed to hosting the final in June at Lord’s. The WTC was launched by the ICC last year with the aim of adding context to the Test game. Tests are played over five days, making it virtually impossible to hold a standalone showpiece like the World Cups in the shorter formats.

The nine top Test teams were scheduled to play six series each over two years in the WTC, with the top two making the showcase final in London.

India and Australia, who meet in a blockbuster series next month, are currently the top two with England in third.  A clearer picture of where the ICC will go with their new competition should emerge from the board meeting later this month, with the governing body considering splitting points for the matches which could not be played. 

-   REUTERS