The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that England will host the next three World Test Championship (WTC) finals in 2027, 2029, and 2031. The decision was made during the ICC Annual General Meeting in Singapore.
England has already hosted all the previous WTC finals. In 2021, New Zealand beat India in the final. In 2023, Australia defeated India. In the most recent final, South Africa beat Australia, and large crowds attended the matches.
The ICC said England was chosen because of its successful record of hosting these finals. Even when England was not playing, fans still filled the stadiums.
BCCI Wanted Final in India, But ICC Said No
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wanted to host the WTC final in India. But the ICC did not agree. Instead, they gave the hosting rights again to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
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Richard Gould, the CEO of the ECB, said this shows how much people in England love Test cricket.
“Being awarded the next three finals was a testament to the passion that fans in this country have for this treasured format of the game and the willingness of supporters from around the world to travel here for these games,” said Richard Gould.
Weather and Fan Support Favours England
The ICC also considered the weather conditions. The WTC final is usually played in May or June. This is summer in India and other Asian countries, where it gets very hot. Such heat can be dangerous for players.
But in England, June is cooler, making it better for Test cricket. Also, this time comes right after the IPL, when the international schedule is lighter.
England also doesn’t host big leagues like IPL during this time. This makes it easier to schedule matches. Even if England is not playing, fans still come to support the games, which makes England a perfect venue for the finals.
