20-07-2025
WTC Final set to remain in England till 2031, confirms ICC
The World Test Championship Final is set to remain in England till 2031, confirmed the International Cricket Council via a press release on Sunday, July 20. The event, which has been hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board since its inception, is set to continue for the next three editions of the ICC announced that the decision was taken keeping in mind the track record of the ECB over the last three editions of the Championship. The WTC Final has been hosted in three venues in England, namely Southampton (2021), The Oval (2023), and Lord's Cricket Ground in Board also confirmed the awarding of hosting rights for the ICC World Test Championship Finals for the 2027, 2029, and 2031 editions to the England and Wales Cricket Board, following a successful track record in hosting recent finals," the ICC said in its release.
India Today had earlier reported that the Indian Cricket Board was highly interested in bringing the event to its shores. However, that seems to be unlikely in the near are the key decisions made at the ICC Annual to host WTC Finals till 2031The ICC confirmed that the England and Wales Cricket Board will continue to host the next three finals of the World Test Championship. The decision was based on the ECB's successful handling of the event in previous editions and the logistical advantage of England's early summer support for displaced women cricketersThe ICC will maintain its collaborative programme to support women cricketers of Afghan descent who have been displaced. This initiative is being carried out in partnership with the BCCI, ECB and Cricket Australia. It includes high performance training, domestic match exposure and involvement in upcoming ICC women's events like the 2025 ODI World Cup in India and the 2026 T20 World Cup in Cricket given three months' noticeThe ICC reiterated its demand for proper governance from USA Cricket. The board has been told to conduct free and fair elections and implement structural reforms within three months. The ICC has made it clear that it can take action if these conditions are not Associate Member representatives elected to the CECThree new officials from Associate nations have been elected to the ICC Chief Executives CommitteeGurumurthy Palani from FranceAnuraag Bhatnagar from Cricket Hong KongGurdeep Klair from Cricket CanadaNew Associate Members AnnouncedTwo new cricket boards have been granted Associate Membership status by the ICC. The Timor Leste Cricket Federation and the Zambia Cricket Union join the global cricket community, taking ICC membership to a total of 110.- EndsMust Watch
