- July 23, 2025
Well, it’s official again with England winning the hosts for three ICC World Test Championship (WTC) finals. Yes, 2027, 2029, and 2031 are all returning to the land of cloudy skies, seamless deliveries, and scones with jam. So, if you’re an Indian cricket fan wishing to catch the WTC final in your backyard, sorry—I think your dream just got padded to the slips. It seems, despite Test cricket being a world game, the grand finale likes to stay very English, as confirmed by the ICC’s announcement at its annual meeting in Singapore.
England’s Winning Formula: Tradition Meets Logistics
So, why England again? Is it the beautiful green outfields, the soft roars of the Lord’s crowd, or perhaps it’s just really good tea? In reality, it’s mostly practical wins and proven outcomes. June, the normal WTC final time frame, just seems to work in England, with moderately mild weather, less sweat, and more swing.
England also has a reputation for putting on amazing cricket events to massive crowds with neutral crowds and plenty of drama (think 2025 final). As ECB’s CEO Richard Gould noted, “Packed crowds, and pristine organisation” was how it should be in England. If you’re trying to sell Test cricket to a world increasingly obsessed with T20s, you’ve only got one guaranteed spectacle, and England guarantees it.
BCCI’s Missed Opportunity: Power Can’t Buy Everything
This ruling is not simply a win for England; it is a total rejection of the BCCI, which may be the monetary giant of the sport. Jay Shah, et al. have been working overtime to try and get the WTC final in India in 2027, to continue trying to exploit the immense commercial potential around cricket in the sub-continent. Let’s be honest, when it comes to pure passion for cricket, there is nobody like India.
But sometimes money provides headlines, not the final word. The ICC’s decision is a sign that consistent delivery and managing a crowd is better than sheer commercial muscle. The choice also indicates that the WTC is not willing to gamble its flagship match on untested waters, competing interests notwithstanding, and even though those waters may be brimming with generally cricket-crazy fans.
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Test Cricket
There is a positive aspect to all this, particularly if you are a traditionalist. In maintaining the WTC final in England, you get continuity—it’s an established stage for an emerging competition that is still seeking to find its place. This is valuable from a branding viewpoint—something where fans can expect, and can relate to. Few venues carry the prestige of Lord’s, The Oval, and Edgbaston.
But the thing is, England currently holds the triple crown of hosting, but while this demand is going to increase, often, when the sport is growing in popularity at a global level, the pressure to distribute marquee events in a more equitable way is only going to get louder. If the WTC wishes to keep the “world” in world test cricket, perhaps reproduction of events in different continents will soon shift from a discussion to a necessity.
England will play host to the next three World Test Championship finals — events destined to capture the imagination of cricket fans worldwide. However, this isn’t just a story about one country’s hosting run; it is part of the ongoing story of cricket’s struggle between the old and the new – comfort and ambition. Will we see a WTC final in Mumbai, Melbourne, or even Cape Town? That is still to be seen.
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