The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the updated points table for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, where South Africa ends their third and current cycle of the vent at the top position with a percentage of 69.44 with the help of a series clean sweep over Pakistan by a margin of 2-0.
This win helped the Temba Bavuma-led side to finish at the top with a sensible lead over Australia in the second position with a percentage of 63.73. The final of the ICC WTC 2023-25 is now locked to be between the Proteas and the Pat Cummins-led side at Lord’s from June 11.
SA had a patient victory over the green brigade in the opening red-ball game of the series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. They had a narrow victory by two wickets, where the ninth-wicket unbeaten stand of 51 runs between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada helped them get over the line to get the final tickets for the ICC event.
South Africa and Australia locked for WTC 2023-25 final at Lord’s
They followed it up with another strong performance in the second encounter at Newlands in Cape Town, where they put on 615 in the first innings and bundled out the tourists for just 194 in the second innings of the game. Bavuma decided to enforce the follow-on as a better batting performance from Pakistan was enough to make the home bowlers toil hard before they chased down the target of 61 runs with 10 wickets in hand.
Ahead of this contest, the Rainbow Nation had a win percentage of 66.67 in the ICC WTC 2023-25, thanks to their 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka. All eyes were also on the fifth and final Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). A win for the home side would have been enough to earn the tickets to the final, and it exactly happened.
A series victory by 3-1, including the six-wicket win for the Pat Cummins-led side in the New Year’s Test, locked themselves at number two in the ICC WTC points table with 63.730. Unless they lose their upcoming two-match Test trip to Sri Lanka by a 2-0 margin and also lose points on a slow over-rate penalty, they are confirmed to be defending their title in the final.
The Proteas started their 12-match WTC cycle with the home series over India in 2023-24, where they lost the Newlands Test before being whitewashed at the hands of New Zealand. But their back-to-back seven wins and one draw put them at the top of the ladder.
Pakistan has dropped to eighth position in the ICC WTC points table as they will now face West Indies, the ninth-ranked side, for a two-match series at home. It will be their first Test series in Pakistan after 18 years against this opposition.
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The Proteas head coach reckoned that they would try to play a Test match before the WTC final to get the best preparation. They will invite any of the sides, whether it’s Ireland or Afghanistan or whoever is free at that moment for a red-ball fixture.
ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 Updated Points Table
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points | PCT |
| SA | 12 | 08 | 03 | 01 | 100 | 69.44 |
| AUS | 17 | 11 | 04 | 02 | 130 | 63.73 |
| IND | 19 | 09 | 08 | 02 | 114 | 50.00 |
| NZ | 14 | 07 | 07 | 00 | 81 | 48.21 |
| SL | 11 | 05 | 06 | 00 | 60 | 45.45 |
| ENG | 22 | 11 | 10 | 01 | 114 | 43.18 |
| BAN | 12 | 04 | 08 | 00 | 45 | 31.25 |
| PAK | 12 | 04 | 08 | 00 | 40 | 27.78 |
| WI | 11 | 02 | 07 | 02 | 32 | 24.24 |