ICC World Test Championship Race – New Zealand becomes first team to qualify for WTC Finals- Kane Williamson and his Black Caps cricketers are assured of a World Test Championship final in the UK in June after Australia’s three-test cricket tour of South Africa was postponed on Tuesday.
In case the postponed series gets rescheduled before cut-off date till March 2021, situation may change with the ICC Points Table – but for now Kiwis have become the first nation to qualify for WTC Finals slated for June.
Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said the Covid-19 situation in South Africa, hit by a second wave and new variant of the virus, “poses an unacceptable level of health and safety risk to our players, support staff and the community.”
Australia needed to win two tests in South Africa and prevent their hosts from winning one, to ensure their spot in the inaugural WTC decider, scheduled for June 18-22 at Lord’s or Southampton’s Rose Bowl.
But now they can’t pass New Zealand who look destined to face India in the decider, unless the latter collapse spectacularly against England in their upcoming four-test series in India.
After 2-0 home series wins over West Indies and Pakistan, New Zealand moved to 70 per cent of total points contested under the revised scoring system amid the pandemic.
After their loss to India in Brisbane, Australia sits third on 69.2 per cent while India lead on 71.7. Australia were docked points for slow over rates which proved crucial in their final total.
New Zealand’s WTC schedule is complete, and they can’t slip below 70 per cent, but India can if they suffer defeats to England in the four-test series starting this weekend.
New Zealand are scheduled to play two tests in England before the WTC final, at Lord’s and Edgbaston in the first fortnight of June.
ICC WTC current standings
| Rank | Team | PCT | Points | Series Played | Matches Played | Matches Won | Matches Lost | Matches Drawn |
| 1 | India | 71.7% | 430 | 5 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 70.0% | 420 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Australia | 69.2% | 332 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| 4 | England | 68.7% | 412 | 5 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 37.7% | 226 | 5.5* | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | South Africa | 34.3% | 144 | 4* | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 16.7% | 80 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 8 | West Indies | 11.1% | 40 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 00.0% | 0 | 1.5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
This article is auto-generated by Algorithm Source: www.insidesport.co
