ICC Unveils Record Prize Money for 2025 World Test Championship Final
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced an unprecedented prize pool of USD $5.76 million for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 Final, which will see Australia face South Africa at Lord’s next month.
The winning team will walk away with a massive USD $3.6 million, more than double the USD $1.6 million earned by India and Australia in the 2021 and 2023 finals respectively. The runners-up will still receive a generous USD $2.16 million, a significant increase from the previous prize of USD $800,000.
To kick off the 30-day countdown to the final, the ICC released a promotional video featuring key players from both sides. Representing South Africa were Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, and Aiden Markram, while Australia was represented by Steve Smith and Travis Head.
The video also included appearances from cricketing legends such as Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn, Matthew Hayden, Mel Jones, Nasser Hussain, Shoaib Akhtar, and Ravi Shastri, adding to the excitement.
South Africa earned their spot in the final after topping the WTC standings with strong performances against Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, along with a drawn series against India.
Australia qualified by securing a 3-1 victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, along with clean sweeps against Pakistan at home and series wins in New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah lauded the competitiveness of the current WTC cycle, noting that qualification remained uncertain until late in the tournament.
“We’ve witnessed a gripping third edition of the World Test Championship, and the final promises to be a fitting conclusion, featuring two world-class teams,” said Shah.
This final holds major importance: South Africa aims to capture their first ICC title, while Australia seeks to become the first side to win the WTC Final twice.
Scheduled to take place at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, the match is expected to attract a global audience as the two cricketing giants battle it out in the ultimate test of skill and endurance.
