World Test Championship: Unhappy Virat Kohli Hits Out At New ICC Points System, Says 'It's Confusing, Difficult To Understand'

WTC Points Table: The PCT system ranks teams on the basis of points earned from the number of matches contested. While India (360 from 480 contested points) has been pushed down to second spot, Australia (296 out of 360 points) have moved up to No.1 spot.

Photo Courtesy: AFP

Indian captain Virat Kohli on Thursday questioned the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to amend the points system of the first World Test Championship (WTC), saying the change was "confusing" and the governing body would have to explain a lot.

Last week, the ICC had decided to rank teams on percentage of points (PCT) instead of the overall points earned, which pushed India, who were first in the rankings with 360 total points, to the second position in the WTC points table.

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World Test Championship: What Is Team India's Current Standing In The WTC Points Table?

The PCT system ranks teams on the basis of points earned from the number of matches contested. While India (360 from 480 contested points) has been pushed down to second spot, Australia (296 out of 360 points) have moved up to No.1 spot.

"It is definitely surprising (the new system) because we were told the points are the matter of contention with the top two teams qualifying [for the World Test Championship final]. Now, suddenly, become percentage out of nowhere. It is very confusing, very difficult to understand why. If such a thing had been told to us from day one, then it would have been easier for us to understand. But it happened out of nowhere. For further questions, ICC should be asked why this has been done and what are the reasons behind this," said Kohli.

Interestingly the proposal to switch to PCT was made by Anil Kumble-headed ICC Cricket Committee before it was tabled before the ICC Board which then, through an email on November 20, announced its seal of approval.

When ICC Altered World Test Championship Points Table!

"The unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19 means, to date, just under half of the World Test Championship matches have been played, with that estimated to rise to more than 85% by the end of the competition window. Current regulations dictate that matches not completed shall be treated as a draw with points split. The Cricket Committee considered maintaining that status quo or determining the final World Test Championship League standings from matches played," the ICC had said in a statement.

"The Cricket Committee recommended the latter option, which was approved by the Chief Executives Committee and ratified by the Board, meaning teams will be ranked in order of percentage of points earned," it said.