ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle schedule revealed

DUBAI: The full schedule of the 2025-27 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship (WTC) was revealed on Tuesday.

After South Africa stunned the world last Saturday by beating Australia and being crowned champions, a new WTC cycle began on Tuesday as Sri Lanka began their two match test series against Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka

The Lions will have six series, each consisting of two matches, between June 2-25 and February 2027. After their two-match series against Bangladesh concludes, they will head to West Indies in June of next year. In August, Sri Lanka will host India, and then travel to Pakistan in November. Their last two series will take place in January and February 2027, as they tour New Zealand and host South Africa, respectively.

Bangladesh

The other half of this cycle’s opening contest, Bangladesh, will host Pakistan in March 2026 and West Indies in October 2026. They will face South Africa in November 2026, before playing their final two series in February and March 2027, as they host England and tour Australia, respectively.

Australia

Australia will begin their cycle by touring West Indies for two tests later this month. They will then host rivals England later this year in November. Near the end of 2026, the Aussies will have two series, touring South Africa for three tests in September, before facing New Zealand three times at home in December. Their final two series will feature a five-match tour of India in January 2027 and a short, two match series against Bangladesh in March 2027.

West Indies

After the West Indies face Australia later this month in two tests, they will tour India for two matches in October. The Windies will take on New Zealand in their final series of the year in November. In 2026, they will host Sri Lanka and Pakistan for two tests each in June and July, respectively. Their cycle will end in a two-match tour of Bangladesh in October 2026.

England

England will have two back to back five match test series to begin their cycle. The first comes against India at home later this month. They then face Australia in November to close out the year. In 2026, England will host both New Zealand and Pakistan for three matches each in June and August 2026, respectively. They will close out that year with a three-match tour of South Africa in December. Their final series will be a tour of Bangladesh in February 2027.

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India

India begin their cycle with a five-match tour of England later this month. Their next four series will all feature two matches, including a home series against the West Indies in October 2026, a home series against South Africa in November 2026, a tour of Sri Lanka in August 2026, and a tour of New Zealand in October 2026. Their cycle will end in January 2027, with a five-match series against Australia.

South Africa

South Africa open their cycle with a two-match tour of Pakistan in October of this year, followed immediately by a two-match tour of India in November. That will be their last series until September of 2026, when they host Australia in a three-match series. Soon after they will again have two series close together, as they host both Bangladesh and England in November and December 2026, respectively. South Africa will close out their series in February 2027 with a two-match tour of Sri Lanka.

New Zealand

New Zealand will face the West Indies for two tests in November of this year to begin their cycle. They will then have three series in 2026, beginning with a three-match tour of England in June, before hosting India for two tests in October. They end the year with a three-match tour of Australia in December. Their final two series will feature two home games against Sri Lanka in January 2027, and then a two-match tour of Pakistan in March.

Pakistan

Pakistan will host South Africa in October for their only test series of the year. They will then have a packed 2026, beginning with a two-match tour of Bangladesh in March. In July, they will tour The Windies, before touring England for three matches in August. Their final series of the year will take place at home against Sri Lanka in November. For their final series of the cycle, Pakistan will host New Zealand for two tests in March.

Total Number of Matches

England will compete in the most matches with 21 contests scheduled. Australia is close behind with 20 matches scheduled, while India will compete in 18. New Zealand and South Africa will each have 14 matches, while Pakistan will compete in 13. Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Bangladesh, each have 12.

Scoring

Teams will get 12 points for a win, six for a tie, and four for a draw. As teams play an unequal number of matches, standings are decided based on a points percentage system. The percentage is based off the amount of points a team has won, out of all points they had the opportunity to grab.

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