WTC Finals: Why England remains the go-to host for the next three world test championship finals.
Not many neutral fans would have stood on their feet when Aiden Markram celebrated the century against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final at Lord’s. But the spectators in England are different. They appreciate a valuable performance even if that comes against their side, which is quite rare these days. Test cricket has lost its charm over the years, but its excitement still remains the same in England.
When India didn’t qualify for the WTC 2025 final, concerns arose that the game might not attract a certain viewership. But no one dreamt of the Lord’s clash setting new live broadcast and digital records. It has become the Star Sports network’s highest-rated and most watched (2.94 billion minutes of viewing) non-India Test match on TV. It hit the highest reach of 47 million.
The encounter between South Africa and Australia also recorded the highest-ever viewership on digital with 225 million views. It overtook the viewership of the WTC 2021-23 final at the Oval. At Lord’s Cricket Ground, the contest was attended by 109227 people.
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England close deal for next three WTC finals
Rohit Sharma, the former India captain, just after their WTC 2023 final defeat, expressed that the future final should have been played outside England. His ‘why after the IPL final? Why can’t it be March?’ raised questions among the administrators.
It was the Blue Brigade’s second defeat in the final after they faced the same result against New Zealand in 2021 at the Ageas Bowl. His question came after India had little time to prepare and get acclimatized to the chilly conditions.
Even during this year’s WTC final at Lord’s, the two-time runners-up expressed an interest in staging the game in the next season. But they failed to convince the ICC in the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM). England closed the agreement for the next three WTC finals till 2031. Many predicted the ball to swing in India’s court due to the presence of Jay Shah and Sanjog Gupta, the CEO of the JioStar broadcasters.
‘We are absolutely delighted that England and Wales have 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.’ Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, said to ESPNcricinfo.
The June window remains the favoured time of the year for ICC in staging the final. It was noted that the current ICC chairman was visibly enthused by the recent WTC final. They have cited ECB’s ‘successful track record in hosting recent finals’ in selecting the host country.
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England’s ticket-selling, time zone, and weather well-suited for WTC finals
The venue for the three finals is yet to be confirmed. But history and prestige suggest Lord’s will be the strong favorite to host the game in the next three editions. London is a global travel hub, and that makes it a natural choice. However, the north venues will be in contention with no Ashes Test scheduled in 2027 in the north of Nottingham.
There are several reasons for England to avoid India’s attempt to host the WTC final. In June, the United Kingdom’s weather is well-suited to the game.
More importantly, the time zone is friendly for broadcast purposes. The broadcasters, to engage more fans, put an India-Pakistan game in the USA on a Sunday morning. The idea was not to attract the fans of the United States but to grab the Indian fans in the prime evening period.
It repeated again in Barbados for the T20 World Cup 2024 final. Australia could be a place to host the final. However, it’s a genuine query among the broadcasters to attract viewers during a non-India Test match on a cold winter morning.
The most important aspect is the ECB’s ability to sell tickets for neutral games. That happens due to its multi-cultural population. In the WTC 2025 final, more than 75000 fans attended the first three days. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which owns the Lord’s ground, also cut the ticket prices.
The fear is that in other countries, fans would turn out to watch their team or India. But what about the neutral games? In the three Test championship finals so far, England didn’t qualify for the particular encounter. Bu to still attract the humongous crowd has worked in their favor.
Moreover, the major hurdle for a final in India is their relationship with Pakistan. Both countries have now refused to travel to one another for ICC events. In the future, the agreement has been made to play the fixture in neutral venues. Their relationship has worsened this year after the outbreak of conflict last month before the ceasefire.
It’s certainly a reward for England to get the opportunity of hosting finals in the longest format. But additionally, it’s a responsibility to keep the format alive. It’s already a half-dead format. And if it loses its attraction in England, it won’t be long before the fans would witness the very last Test match.
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