England confirmed as host for next three WTC finals

England has been confirmed as the host of the next three World Test Championship finals - in 2027, 2029 and 2031 - following the country’s successful staging of the first three such events since 2021.

The decision, which had been on the cards since Lord’s played host to South Africa’s five-wicket victory over Australia in the third WTC final last month, was ratified at the ICC’s annual conference in Singapore this week.

Despite some speculation that the contest could be set for a relocation to India from 2027 onwards, the ICC cited the ECB’s “successful track record in hosting recent finals” in confirming its decision.

Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, said: “We are absolutely delighted that England and Wales has been chosen to host the next three ICC World Test Championship Finals. It’s 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. Hosting these finals is a privilege, and we look forward to working with the ICC to build on the success of the previous editions.”

The June window, early in the English summer, remains the ICC’s favoured time of year for staging the final, in the aftermath of the IPL and at a time of year when few other international fixtures are scheduled at that time of year.

Furthermore, as was demonstrated at Lord’s last month, England’s ability to sell out venues for neutral fixtures remains unrivalled across the world game. This was also the case when the Kia Oval hosted Australia’s victory over India in 2023, and even at the inaugural event in 2021, which was staged in biosecure circumstances at the Hampshire Bowl with limited access for India’s and New Zealand’s fans.

Speaking last month about the prospect of hosting the next three events, Gould told ESPNcricinfo: “We don’t think that we’ve got any absolute right to be the continual host of the WTC [final], but there are advantages to having it here.

“Irrespective of who gets into the final, we will sell it out… We’re probably the only member nation within the ICC that could deliver that. We recognise that perhaps others would like to take it around the world at some point… But the worry is if you move it, end up with two neutral teams, and don’t get a crowd, the whole thing could devalue and deflate pretty quickly.”

The atmosphere at Lord’s was noted at the last WTC final, with the ICC’s chair, Jay Shah visibly enthused by the sense of occasion that England’s most famous venue afforded the event.

However, ESPNcricinfo understands that no decision has yet been made as to whether Lord’s will remain the preferred host for the final going forward.

-Agencies