Record prize money announced for ICC World Test Championship Final

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a record-breaking prize pool of USD 5.76 million for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 25 Final to be played between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s next month.

According to the ICC, the champions of the one-off Test will receive a whopping USD 3.6 million, while the runners-up will earn USD 2.16 million. The prize pool has seen a significant increase from the previous editions, where winners received USD 1.6 million and runners-up USD 800,000.The final, set to begin on June 11, marks the culmination of an intense two-year Test cricket cycle.

South Africa secured their place in the final after topping the WTC standings, thanks to series wins over Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, and a drawn home series against India.

Australia, the defending champions, confirmed their spot following a commanding 3-1 victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, alongside a 3-0 sweep of Pakistan at home and away wins against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

To mark the 30-day countdown, the ICC also released a promotional video featuring top cricketers Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, Steve Smith, and Travis Head, along with former legends Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn, Matthew Hayden, Mel Jones, Nasser Hussain, Shoaib Akhtar, and Ravi Shastri, to build excitement ahead of the prestigious encounter.

ICC Chair Jay Shah, in a statement, said the WTC has brought renewed interest and competitiveness to Test cricket. We have witnessed a very interesting third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, where the finalists were decided only towards the end of the competition.

This final is a true celebration of cricket,he remarked. South African captain Temba Bavuma expressed his team’s eagerness to claim their first-ever ICC title. The World Test Championship lends context to this vital format of the game, and Lord’s is a fitting venue for such a mega fixture, he said.

Australian captain Pat Cummins said his side was proud to defend the title. It’s a great honour for all of us to be in the final again. We look forward to the challenge South Africa will present at the home of cricket, he stated. Meanwhile, the ICC also released the full prize money breakdown for all nine participating teams in the 2023-25.