The World Test Championship was conceived by the International Cricket Council as a way to boost the importance and appeal of Test match cricket in an era dominated by franchise Twenty 20 tournaments. It is a two-year competition with teams earning points for wins, ties and draws. The winner is determined by a percentage of total points won and is ranked on the basis of that percentage. The finalists play three series of four or five Tests each, with the richer countries playing a maximum of five matches. Less affluent nations are able to schedule shorter, two-Test series and may face less fixture fatigue.

The winners of the WTC will earn record prize money, and teams are awarded a bonus for winning a Test and six points for a draw. A loss results in zero points. The ICC also introduced an over-rate deduction system in which teams lose a point for every over they bowl over their target. These rules are intended to ensure that the most committed team is rewarded for their efforts. The WTC was initially criticized for its exclusion of full members Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe and for focusing on profits instead of nurturing and developing the game worldwide.

South Africa’s win in this year’s final was hailed by its captain, Tendai Bavuma, as a victory for the small nations of the world. Despite their limited resources and dwindling talent pools, these nine Test-playing nations have performed well in the 2023-25 WTC cycle.