India to kick off new WTC cycle with England series
India will kick off their WTC campaign with the upcoming five-match Test series against England. The International Cricket Council has also confirmed the changed point system. Now teams will get 12 points per Test win, while a tie will fetch 6 points and a draw four.
During the last cycle, the value for each series was 120 points, irrespective of the number of matches.
"Instead of each series being worth the same number of points, 120, irrespective of whether the series is played over two Tests or five Tests, the next cycle will see each match being worth the same number of points - a maximum of 12 per match," an ICC board member told PTI.
"Teams will be ranked on the percentage of available points they won from the matches they have played."
"The aim was to try and simplify the points system and to allow teams to be meaningfully compared on the table at any point, though they may have played differing numbers of matches and series," the Board member added.
The WTC cycle, which will end in June 2023, has just two five-match Test series, the other being the Ashes to be played later this year.
Like the previous season, all the nine Test teams will play a total of six series: three home and three away.
"England will play the most Tests (21) in WTC-2 followed by India (19), Australia (18) and South Africa (15). The inaugural WTC winners New Zealand will play only 13 matches, similar to that of West Indies and Sri Lanka, but one less than Pakistan (14)," a report in the ESPNCricinfo stated.