England to host next 3 WTC Finals after ICC announced the host venues for the 2027, 2029, and 2031 WTC Finals.
England confirmed by ICC as host for next three WTC finals.
Following the successful hosting of the first three World Test Championship finals since 2021, England has been confirmed to host the next three in 2027, 2029, and 2031.
The ICC’s annual conference in Singapore this week validated the decision, which had been in the works since South Africa defeated Australia by five wickets in the third WTC final held at Lord’s last month.
The ECB’s “successful track record in hosting recent finals” was highlighted by the ICC to support its decision, despite some rumours that the competition would move to India starting in 2027.
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.”
In the aftermath of the IPL and when there aren’t many other international matches scheduled, the June window, early in the English summer, continues to be the ICC’s preferred time of year to hold the final.
Additionally, England continues to have the best ability in the world to sell out facilities for neutral matches, as was shown at Lord’s last month. This was also the situation for the first tournament in 2021, which was held in biosecure conditions at the Hampshire Bowl with restricted access for fans from India and New Zealand, and when Australia defeated India in 2023 at the Kia Oval.
“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.”