Bangladesh earn big in World Test Championship
This cycle marked Bangladesh’s most successful run in the WTC to date.
Bangladesh are set to receive a record sum of $720,000 for finishing seventh in the 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, following a significant increase in prize money confirmed by the International Cricket Council on Thursday.
This cycle marked Bangladesh's most successful run in the WTC to date, securing four wins out of twelve matches. Notably, three of these victories came on foreign soil — a historic 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan and a win against the West Indies in the Caribbean last year. They also defeated New Zealand at home in December 2023.
In stark contrast, Bangladesh managed just one win across the previous two WTC cycles — a landmark triumph over New Zealand at Mount Maunganui during the 2021–2023 period, having gone winless in the inaugural edition from 2019 to 2021.
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Meanwhile, the winners of the WTC Final, set to be contested by Australia and South Africa at Lord's from 11–15 June, will take home a staggering $3.6 million — more than double the amount previously awarded to the champions. In the earlier two editions, winners received $1.6 million, while runners-up earned $800,000.
This time around, the losing finalists are guaranteed over $2.1 million — a sum that surpasses the former champion's prize, underlining the ICC's commitment to reinvigorating Test cricket. The substantial increase in prize money reflects the governing body's strategic emphasis on elevating the status of the five-day format.
The third edition of the WTC concluded with South Africa finishing strongly, securing 2-0 home series wins over both Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and ending with a points percentage of 69.44. Defending champions Australia followed closely with 67.54, while India, who had topped the table for a significant portion of the cycle, concluded with 50.00 percentage points.
