The new cycle of the World Test Championship has already begun, just days after South Africa were crowned as the champions of the third edition of the tournament. South Africa’s win was seen as a story of incredible grit and perseverance, given they had given up hope on the competition midway through the cycle.
Inspired by Aiden Markram’s sensational 4th innings hundred and two gritty knocks from captain Temba Bavuma, South Africa beat the mighty Australians, who were favourites to clinch the title.
The victory was seen as refreshing from a neutral perspective, as fans saw the result as a win for Test cricket, as the South African team came together for a sensational run in the red-ball format, eventually breaking their 27-year wait for an ICC title.
However, there was one thing that laser-eyed fans could not ignore. It was the number of Test matches that South Africa played in their WTC cycle.
South Africa reached the summit clash of the WTC 2025 by playing just 12 Test matches. This was the lowest among all teams in the tournament. In comparison, England played 22, Australia and India 19, and New Zealand and Pakistan 14.
It did not sit well with many fans that South Africa did not play Australia and England en route to the finals and only played 2 matches at home against India. The argument was that India, Australia, and England play 5 matches against each other, meaning that they compete against tougher opposition more frequently.
On that note, here’s the complete breakdown of matches that teams will be playing in the WTC cycle. It needs to be noted that these fixtures were already agreed in advance with the FTP — ICC’s Future Tours Programme.
Total Tests by Team
- Australia – 22
- England – 21
- India – 18
- New Zealand – 16
- South Africa – 14
- West Indies – 14
- Pakistan – 13
- Bangladesh – 12
- Sri Lanka – 12
Home Tests by Team
- Australia – 11
- England – 11
- India – 9
- South Africa – 8
- New Zealand – 7
- Bangladesh – 6
- Sri Lanka – 6
- West Indies – 7
- Pakistan – 6
Away Tests by Team
- Australia – 11
- England – 10
- India – 9
- New Zealand – 9
- West Indies – 7
- Pakistan – 7
- South Africa – 6
- Bangladesh – 6
- Sri Lanka – 6
WTC 2025–27: Complete Breakdown of Series
Australia – Total Tests: 22
Home:
vs ENG – 5
vs BAN – 2
vs NZ – 4
Away:
vs WI – 3
vs SA – 3
vs IND – 5
Bangladesh – Total Tests: 12
Home:
vs PAK – 2
vs WI – 2
vs ENG – 2
Away:
vs SL – 2
vs AUS – 2
vs SA – 2
England – Total Tests: 21
Home:
vs IND – 5
vs NZ – 3
vs PAK – 3
Away:
vs AUS – 5
vs SA – 3
vs BAN – 2
India – Total Tests: 18
Home:
vs WI – 2
vs SA – 2
vs AUS – 5
Away:
vs ENG – 5
vs SL – 2
vs NZ – 2
New Zealand – Total Tests: 16
Home:
vs WI – 3
vs IND – 2
vs SL – 2
Away:
vs ENG – 3
vs AUS – 4
vs PAK – 2
Pakistan – Total Tests: 13
Home:
vs SA – 2
vs SL – 2
vs NZ – 2
Away:
vs BAN – 2
vs WI – 2
vs ENG – 3
South Africa – Total Tests: 14
Home:
vs AUS – 3
vs BAN – 2
vs ENG – 3
Away:
vs PAK – 2
vs IND – 2
vs SL – 2
Sri Lanka – Total Tests: 12
Home:
vs BAN – 2
vs IND – 2
vs SA – 2
Away:
vs WI – 2
vs PAK – 2
vs NZ – 2
West Indies – Total Tests: 14
Home:
vs AUS – 3
vs SL – 2
vs PAK – 2
Away:
vs IND – 2
vs NZ – 3
vs BAN – 2
