The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) winner is awarded the ICC Test mace. This is a World Cup tournament for test match cricket organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) every two years in June.

Out of the five teams that won the ICC Test Mace, Australia holds a great dominance in tests, having won the accolade nine times since 2003. Subsequently, India won the Test Mace for five years, with their last title coming in 2019 under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.

Subsequently, South Africa ranks third in the list by winning the Test Championship Mace for four years in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2025.

As the WTC 2025 final wrapped up recently with South Africa winning their maiden ICC trophy after 27 years, it’s time to find out the detailed history of the Test Mace.

History Behind the Test Championship Mace

As a symbol of excellence in test cricket, the ICC Test Mace was introduced back in 2003. The actual design was first implemented by Trevor Brown in 2000, a renowned trophy designer who worked at the UK-based company Thomas Lyte.

Before the concept of WTC was introduced, the top-ranked teams in the ICC Men’s Test Rankings from 2003 to 2019 were honored with the Test Mace along with a lucrative cash prize. In other words, the ICC test championship winners were selected based on the ranking system between 2003 and 2019, with the yearly cut-off date on April 01.

In simpler terms, this ICC Test Mace wouldn’t be counted as an ICC Title or Trophy, and it is a tribute to the teams that rank in first position in test cricket.

However, the Test Mace underwent modifications in 2021, where the current version was developed at Lyte’s workshop in London.

The inaugural cycle of the WTC from 2019 to 2021 saw New Zealand become the first team to be awarded with ICC Test Mace.

Australia’s Domination From 2003 to 2009:

Interestingly, Australia won the ICC Test Mace for 7 consecutive years under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy.

India’s Supremacy under MS Dhoni’s Captaincy in 2010 and 2011:

The MS Dhoni-led Indian cricket team reached greater heights by ranking at No.1 in ICC Men’s Test rankings and won back-to-back ICC Test Mace in 2010 and 2011.

England’s Rise to Power in 2012:

Alastair Cook’s leadership guided England to win their maiden ICC Test Championship Mace back in 2012.

South Africa’s Superiority from 2013 to 2015:

South Africa won their first ever Test Mace in 2013 and extended their strength in 2014 under Graeme Smith’s captaincy. However, Hashim Amla’s leadership in 2015 ensured the Proteas retained their No.1 spot in 2015 as well.

Australia’s Back to the Top in 2016:

After seven years, Australia returned to their No.1 test rankings under Steve Smith’s captaincy and won their Test Mace for the eighth time.

India’s Hattrick of ICC Test Mace from 2017 to 2019:

Team India under Virat Kohli’s captaincy attained record-breaking achievements by rising to No.1 spot in the longest format and won the ICC Test Mace for three consecutive years in 2017, 2018, and 2019. 

New Zealand Crowned as the Inaugural WTC Champions in 2021:

After defeating India in the inaugural WTC final in 2021, Kane Williamson became New Zealand’s second captain to win an ICC trophy after Stephen Fleming, who earlier led his team to win the Champions Trophy (formerly known as the ICC Knock Out Trophy) back in 2000. Also, this was the first ever Test Mace the Kiwis achieved since 2003.

Australia Becomes the WTC 2023 Champions:

Once again, Team India concluded as the runner-up of the WTC final, thereby allowing Australia to claim their 9th ICC Test Mace by becoming the champions of the 2023 edition.

South Africa’s ICC Title Drought Ended in WTC 2025 Final:

A massive victory against Australia by 5 wickets in the WTC 2025 final not only helped South Africa win their 4th ICC Test Mace but also concluded their 27-year ICC title drought.

Design of ICC Test Mace

The iconic trophy is designed with a mix of the finest silver and a layer of gold on top, supported with a hardwood base.

The handle is reminiscent of the cricket stump decorated with a silver, while the top of the mace includes a gold-plated cricket ball having a gold colored cricket ball with world map crafted on it.

Around the globe, on the mace, the belt-like design highlights the logos of all 12 test-playing nations, with extra space on the belt for the possibility of more nations to become test teams in the future.

This is one such unique way to indicate that the mace belongs to the entire test cricket world, where the best team can stand out by proving their mettle at a global level.

List of ICC Test Mace Winners From 2003 to 2025

After the WTC 2025 final, South Africa once again joined the list by winning their ICC Test Mace for the fourth time, and here is a detailed list of those winners since 2003:

ICC Test Mace Winners Before the WTC Was Introduced (2003 to 2019):

ICC Test Mace Winners After the WTC Was Introduced (2019 to 2025):

Overall Summary: Test Playing Nations and Number of ICC Test Mace Wins