News
World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle commences with the England-Australia series
Australia begins their defence of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title in a high-profile series against England after winning the second edition with an emphatic 209-run victory over India in the final at The Oval on Sunday.
The five-match Ashes series begins in Birmingham on Friday with Lord’s, Leeds, Manchester and The Oval hosting the remaining matches.
Australia play nine matches in this cycle away from home, which include two-Test series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. At home, they play against India (five), Pakistan (three) and the West Indies (two), for a total of 10 Tests.
England feature in 10 Tests at home and 11 away. They host the West Indies (3) and Sri Lanka (2) apart from Australia, while playing away in India (five), Pakistan (3) and New Zealand (3).
India’s two-Test tour of the West Indies, where they play in Dominica and Trinidad next month, is also part of the third edition of the WTC.
The structure of the nine-team WTC remains the same with each team playing three home and three away series over a two-year period culminating in the final of a one-off Test. The points percentage system used in the previous edition will determine the leaderboard with teams getting 12 points for a win, six for a tie and four for a draw.
The series in the championship remains as per the Men’s FTP announced last year. The media release distributed at the time of the announcement of the Men’s FTP is available here.
Wasim Khan, ICC’s General Manager of Cricket said the WTC had been great in enhancing interest in Test cricket and wished players all the best ahead of the new cycle.
Wasim Khan: “The third edition of the ICC World Test Championship begins on Friday with another highly anticipated series between England and Australia.
“This championship has invigorated Test match cricket, bringing context for players and fans, and a high level of competitiveness as teams battle it out to be crowned World Test Champions at the end of the two-year cycle.
“The big turnout out at The Oval over the five days and the incredible viewership levels across the globe for the final is testimony to the continued popularity of Test cricket.
“I would like to thank the Member Boards for their continued support of this exciting concept and wish the players all the very best as they commence their journey towards becoming World Test Champions in 2025”.
Captains Ben Stokes of England and Pat Cummins of Australia said they were excited and hoped to start well.
Ben Stokes: “We are looking forward to the new cycle of the World Test Championship, and hope we get off to a good start.
“The Ashes combined with World Test Championship points makes it an intriguing series against Australia. I am sure fans worldwide will be following the proceedings with eagerness. We are excited, for what the English summer holds.”
Pat Cummins: “It has been a very enjoyable and rewarding journey through this World Test Championship and we very much look forward to the next cycle.
“It was a goal of ours to reach the final and the fact we were able to win is a great outcome for the group. It’s a great start to our UK tour but there’s plenty of hard work still to be done over the next five Test matches.”
WTC Fixtures Table
| WTC 3 | Home | Away | ||||||||||
| 2023-25 | Opp1 | H | Opp2 | H | Opp3 | H | Opp1 | A | Opp2 | A | Opp3 | A |
| AUS | IND | 5 | WI | 2 | PAK | 3 | NZ | 2 | ENG | 5 | SL | 2 |
| BAN | NZ | 2 | SA | 2 | SL | 2 | IND | 2 | WI | 2 | PAK | 2 |
| ENG | AUS | 5 | WI | 3 | SL | 2 | NZ | 3 | IND | 5 | PAK | 3 |
| IND | NZ | 3 | ENG | 5 | BAN | 2 | AUS | 5 | WI | 2 | SA | 2 |
| NZ | AUS | 2 | ENG | 3 | SA | 2 | IND | 3 | BAN | 2 | SL | 2 |
| PAK | ENG | 3 | WI | 2 | BAN | 2 | AUS | 3 | SA | 2 | SL | 2 |
| SA | IND | 2 | PAK | 2 | SL | 2 | NZ | 2 | WI | 2 | BAN | 2 |
| SL | NZ | 2 | AUS | 2 | PAK | 2 | ENG | 2 | SA | 2 | BAN | 2 |
| WI | IND | 2 | SA | 2 | BAN | 2 | AUS | 2 | ENG | 3 | PAK | 2 |
Cricket
Sri Lanka U-19 Players Face Charges Over Alleged Hotel Recording Incident
Two players from Sri Lanka’s Under-19 cricket squad have been taken into custody allegations that they covertly recorded individuals inside a hotel in the Narahenpita area, according to police.
The arrests came after multiple complaints were lodged by female medical professionals attending a conference at the hotel. The complainants reported that they had been secretly filmed while bathing in their rooms, allegedly using mobile phones.
Authorities revealed that preliminary investigations suggest the suspects may also have captured footage involving male guests at the same premises. Police are continuing inquiries to determine whether any of the recordings were distributed through online platforms.
The suspects were presented before the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court and subsequently released on personal bail set at Rs. 500,000 each. Further investigations are ongoing.
Cricket
SunRisers Hyderabad Sri Lankan Trio Returns Home from IPL
Three Sri Lankan players representing Sunrisers Hyderabad — Kamindu Mendis, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga — have left the Indian Premier League as the tournament approaches its final stages.
The trio returned to Sri Lanka on Thursday morning to complete visa formalities ahead of the national team’s upcoming tour of the West Indies in June, which will feature matches across all formats. According to reports, their brief return is solely to complete biometric requirements for the visa process.
Despite their absence, the players are expected to rejoin the squad in India shortly after completing the necessary procedures. With sufficient time before their next fixture, all three are likely to be available for selection.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are scheduled to play their next match on May 3 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Cricket
Sri Lanka Women too strong for Bangladesh in second T20I
Sri Lanka Women produced a polished all-round performance to defeat Bangladesh Women by 21 runs in the second T20I, sealing the series with a game to spare.
After being put into bat, the visitors posted a competitive 154 for 4 in their 20 overs, built on key contributions from skipper Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama. The innings began cautiously, with Hasini Perera falling early, but Athapaththu steadied the innings with a fluent 42 off 37 balls, striking six boundaries.
The momentum shifted significantly during the latter half as Samarawickrama played an aggressive knock of 49 off just 29 deliveries, including two sixes. She found good support from Imeesha Dulani (27) and Nilakshika Silva, who remained unbeaten on 22, ensuring Sri Lanka finished strongly at a healthy run rate of 7.70. Bangladesh’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Fariha Trisna, Sultana Khatun, Nahida Akter, and Ritu Moni picking up one apiece.
Chasing 155, Bangladesh made a steady start through Dilara Akter and Juairiya Ferdous, who added 46 for the opening wicket. However, regular breakthroughs and sharp fielding dented their progress. Ferdous scored a brisk 29, while Sharmin Akhter anchored the innings with an unbeaten 44, but lacked sufficient support from the middle order.
Sri Lanka’s discipline in the field proved decisive, effecting three crucial run-outs. Kavisha Dilhari was the standout with the ball, claiming 2 for 15 in her four overs, while Sugandika Kumari maintained excellent control, conceding just 14 runs.
Bangladesh eventually finished on 133 for 5, falling short despite a late push.
-
Football1 year agoSri Lanka Schools National Championship 2025: Super 8 Fixtures and Grouping
-
News1 year ago2025 Schools Rugby Season Set to Thrill Fans with Knockout and League Action
-
Cricket11 months agoNuwan Thushara Shines as RCB Storms into IPL 2025 Final
-
Cricket1 year agoSri Lanka’s Greatest Cricketers: Top Batters and Bowlers of All Time
-
Live5 years agoLive Broadcast of Syria vs Sri Lanka | AFC U23 Asian Championship Qualification
-
News11 months agoMajor Shake-Up in Sports Governance: New 2025 Regulations Reform National Sports Bodies in Sri Lanka
-
Football1 year agoFFSL Rebrands Division-1 as ‘League-One’ with a Bold New Vision
-
Football12 months agoSri Lanka Announces U19 Football Squad for SAFF Championship 2025

