ICC confirms England as venue for upcoming WTC finals
ICC confirms England as venue for upcoming WTC finals
After hosting three successful WTC finals, England has been granted the hosting rights for the next three ICC World Test Championship (WTC) finals till 2031.
It has been confirmed that England will be hosting the next three World Test Championships Finals in the years 2027, 2029, along 2031, as the country did a great job and hosted three successful events since 2021.
The ICC has officially confirmed that England will host the next three World Test Championship (WTC) finals. This decision was expected, especially after Lord’s successfully hosted South Africa’s win over Australia in last month’s final. It was approved at the ICC’s annual meeting in Singapore.
There were talks about moving the finals to India from 2027, but the ICC chose England again because of the ECB’s strong track record in hosting big events. Fans in England continue to show strong support for Test cricket, and stadiums regularly sell out, even for neutral matches.
Richard Gould, the ECB’s CEO, said it’s a great honour to host these finals and praised fans from England and abroad for their love of Test cricket.
The final will continue to be played in June right after the IPL and during a quiet time in the international calendar making it easier to plan and attract fans.
Lord’s and the Oval have already shown they can draw big crowds.
-> Australia beat India at The Oval in 2023.
-> The first WTC final in 2021 was held at the Hampshire Bowl, even during strict bio-bubble rules.
ECB chief Richard Gould said that although England isn't guaranteed to host the World Test Championship final every time, it's one of the only countries where even neutral matches fill up stadiums. If the final is moved to a different country, there’s a risk that low crowds could spoil the excitement of the event.
Lord’s has hosted previous finals with great energy and full stands, but the ICC still hasn’t confirmed if it will continue to be the main venue in the future.