Massive increase in prize money for WTC championship final

The winners of the WTC Final, to be played between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s from June 11-15, will take home a purse of $ 3.6 million, more than double of what New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023) earned after winning the previous two finals.

Hyderabad: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed a massive increase in prize money for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) and released a promotional video featuring several past and present stars as the anticipation builds for The Ultimate Test.

The winners of the WTC Final, to be played between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s from June 11-15, will take home a purse of $ 3.6 million, more than double of what New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023) earned after winning the previous two finals.

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The losing finalists too will earn more than the earlier top prize money, assured of more than $ 2.1 million this time. The winners of the previous two editions won $1.6 million while the losing finalists got $ 800,000.

The increase in prize money exhibits the ICC’s efforts to prioritize Test cricket as it looks to build on the momentum of the first three cycles of the nine-team competition.

The third edition saw South Africa finish on a high with 2-0 home series wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, ending with 69.44 percentage points. Defending champions Australia finished with 67.54 points while India finished with 50.00 after leading the table for much of the time.

“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. The championship has showcased remarkable performances from players of different teams, culminating in a final between these two exceptional squads – a true celebration of cricket,” ICC chairman Jay Shah said on Thursday.

“I am sure spectators at Lord’s, along with fans tuning in from all over the world, will be treated to some top-class cricket in this revered format when Australia and South Africa take the field less than a month from now,” he said.

Australian captain Pat Cummins said they were enormously proud to have the opportunity to defend the World Test Championship, especially at Lord’s.

“It’s a testament to all those involved across the past two years who have worked incredibly hard to reach the final, which is a great honour for all of us,” he said.

South African captain Temba Bavuma said: they were really pleased to have made the World Test Championship Final, which would be a good opportunity for them to win an ICC title.

“Everyone understands the importance of Test cricket and the World Test Championship lends context to this vital format of the game. Lord’s is a fitting venue for this mega fixture and all of us will be out there trying to give our best against Australia,” he said.

Bavuma is among the Test icons featured in the promotional video to mark the 30-day countdown that not only reminds one of the importance of the WTC Final but also emphasizes how Test cricket is different from any other sport, requiring a unique combination of skill, intelligence, endurance and courage, among other attributes.

Shaun Pollock, Dayle Steyn, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada are other South Africans appearing in the video while Matthew Hayden, Steve Smith, Travis Head and former women’s Test player Mel Jones form the Australian representation.

A battle of wills, minds and hearts in the Ultimate Test 👊

The #WTC25 Final at Lord’s is upon us 🏟 pic.twitter.com/JsNXpmgOXD

— ICC (@ICC) May 15, 2025

ICC World Test Championship prize money (USD):

WinnerAustralia/South Africa 3,600,000

Runners-up Australia/South Africa 2,160,000

3: India 1,440,000

4: New Zealand 1,200,000

5: England 960,000

6: Sri Lanka 840,000

7: Bangladesh 720,000

8: West Indies 600,000

9: Pakistan 480,000