LAHORE (Monitoring Desk): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a record-breaking prize pool for the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC), with the final between Australia and South Africa set for June 11-15 at Lord’s. The winners will receive $3.6 million, while the runners-up will earn $2.16 million. However, it was a disappointing campaign for Pakistan, who finished ninth and last on the WTC standings. As a result, the national side will receive $480,000 – the lowest payout among all participating teams. India, who narrowly missed qualification for the final, will earn $1.44 million for finishing third. New Zealand placed fourth with a $1.2 million reward, followed by England ($960,000), Sri Lanka ($840,000), Bangladesh ($720,000), and West Indies ($600,000). The significant increase in prize money, nearly doubling from previous editions, highlights the ICC’s intent to reinvigorate interest in Test cricket and reward consistency across the two-year cycle. Pakistan’s WTC campaign was marred by inconsistency, including series losses to Australia and South Africa. Despite a promising start under a new leadership setup, the team failed to gain momentum and slipped steadily down the rankings. The Lord’s final marks the culmination of a tightly contested WTC cycle, with ICC Chair Jay Shah praising the high level of competition and extending best wishes to both finalists. Pakistan’d former speed star Shoaib Akhtar also features in the ICC’s newly launched promotional campaign alongside global icons as excitement builds ahead of the “Ultimate Test.”