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South Africa and Australia clash in the third edition of the World Test Championship Final at The Lord's in London, starting from June 11, Wednesday.
Over the last two years, various countries have battled it out with one another in multiple Test series; now, two remain to decide who will win this year's WTC Final.
South Africa qualified for this match by leading the WTC table with 69.44 percent (PCT) points, while Australia qualified for their second consecutive WTC Final by finishing just below the Proteas on the table with 67.54 PCT.
While both players and supporters will be focused on the pitch and on every ball their side faces, in the back of their mind the coveted Championship will also be in their thoughts.
Here's what the WTC Final prize is and how it looks!
What is the WTC Final trophy?
The WTC Final trophy in fact isn't a trophy at all, with the prize shifting away from the conventional designs used for International Cricket Council (ICC) Championships go for.
It is instead a mace similar to those prizes handed out to winners of Test series over the years.
How does the WTC Final trophy look?
Designed by English luxury brand Thomas Lyte, the mace pays tribute to Test cricket played over the years. The central point of the mace is the cricket ball, with the idea being that at it's core cricket is about the ball through which action takes place irrespective of by which side of the pitch. Around the ball is a globe to show how Test cricket is spread all around our world and leaves no space untouched.
The original mace was designed all the way back in 2000 by famed trophy designer Trevor Brown, who was inspired when he saw a bowler collect a wicket stump as a price for himself. That visual gave him the idea of making a mace as the prize for Test cricket and differ from usual trophies.
"One of the moments that inspired the design...was seeing a cricketer grab a stump as a souvenir after a particularly close match. As the stump was waved aloft it occurred to me that a mace…could stand out against a typical cup design and be something quite different," said Brown.
What is the prize money for each team in the World Test Championship 2023-25?
The winner of the final will get a whopping USD $3.6 million (INR 30 crore approx), and the runner-ups will get $2.16 million (INR 18 crore approx.). India, which finished 3rd on the points table, will also be rewarded with $1.44 million (INR 12 crore approx.).
| Winner of Australia vs South Africa | 3,600,000 | 30,79,24,560 (Approx.) | 5,521,472 (Approx.) |
| Loser of Australia vs South Africa | 2,160,000 | 18,47,54,736 (Approx.) | 3,312,883 (Approx.) |
| India | 1,440,000 | 12,31,69,824 (Approx.) | 2,208,588 (Approx.) |
| New Zealand | 1,200,000 | 10,26,41,520 (Approx.) | 1,840,490 (Approx.) |
| England | 960,000 | 8,21,13,216 (Approx.) | 1,472,392 (Approx.) |
| Sri Lanka | 840,000 | 7,18,49,064 (Approx.) | 1,288,343 (Approx.) |
| Bangladesh | 720,000 | 6,15,84,912 (Approx.) | 1,104,294 (Approx.) |
| West Indies | 600,000 | 5,13,20,760 (Approx.) | 920,245 (Approx.) |
| Pakistan | 480,000 | 4,10,56,608 (Approx.) | 736,196 (Approx.) |
How much prize money did the previous finalists of the WTC win?
Interestingly, this edition's winners and runner-ups will receive a considerable hike from that of the previous two finalists.
Both the finalists will get over twice the amount Australia and New Zealand (the winners) and India (the runner-ups) won in 2021 and 2023.
The following is the prize money won by the WTC finalists in 2021 and 2023:
- Winners (New Zealand and Australia): $1.6 million
- Runner-ups (India x 2): $800,000
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