The other question which must be addressed here is if the ICC is really helping Test cricket survive if it's gate-keeping the final of the WTC to an elite audience in England. Yes, the atmosphere there can't be replicated anywhere else in the world but keeping the final in England means the governing body is giving a little too much value to history.
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The idea of a Test Championship was doing the rounds for the most part in the late 2000s within the ICC. There were talks about dwindling interest in Test cricket amongst fans back in the day. With T20 cricket gaining popularity around the world and ODIs still being pretty relevant, Test cricket was one format which viewers didn’t want to watch, or so the ICC believed. That is why in 2009, they came up with the idea of a Test Championship. The first of which was supposed to be played in 2013 in England replacing the Champions Trophy. The top 4 ranked sides on a cut-off date were supposed to play in the playoff, with two semifinals and a final taking place to determine the champion. But the world governing body ditched the idea in 2011. They declared that the first World Test Championship would take place in 2017 in England, but in January 2014, they cancelled the tournament again. The reason given for these cancellations was financials as well as the commitment given to the broadcasters. The cancellation of the Test Championship meant that England hosted two Champions Trophies in 2013 and 2017. The Champions Trophy was finally scrapped and a new structure for the World Test Championship was developed. In this new format, each team has to play 6 other teams, which includes 3 series at home and 3 away in a period of 2 years. The top 2 sides would qualify for the final. The tournament commenced right after the 2019 World Cup final with England taking on Australia in the Ashes at home. The inaugural tournament couldn’t be played in its entirety due to Covid-19. Several series were either pushed or cancelled entirely. But at the end of the cycle in 2021, India and New Zealand were the top 2 teams. The final was yet again supposed to be played in England, at the Home of Cricket at Lords but due to Covid, the venue was shifted to Southampton. Ironically enough, New Zealand played England in a Test Match at Lords before the WTC final at Southampton.Â
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The venues for the next two editions of the WTC were recently announced by the ICC. There was no surprise as England has yet again been chosen to host the Final in 2023 and 2025. The reason given to award them the hosting rights is that the English weather is the most suitable for hosting cricket in that month of the year. But strangely enough, the Ind-NZ final last year went into the 6th day because of constant rain at the venue. “It’s June so that rules out a number of other venues and we’ve got to get certainty around where it’s hosted. We’re out of Covid now so subject to arrangements being made and being able to be hosted out of Lord’s I think that’s the intention”, ICC chair Greg Barclay had told BBC’s Test Match Special earlier this year. The ICC true to its word zeroed in on Lords for the final of the ongoing edition of the competition and the next edition of the competition. The question really one might ask is if the weather is the only reason to schedule the final in England. Because the English weather isn’t the most reliable weather. In the 2019 cricket World Cup in England, a lot of games got washed out, the Ind-NZ league game got washed out while the semifinal between the two sides went into the 2nd day. Sri Lanka and the West Indies also host Test matches in June and those could have been given consideration. The grounds in Sri Lanka even have some of the best drainage facilities so that’s a plus. But for some reason, those in the ICC don’t realise that. “It pains me to say it, but a ONE OFF & incredibly important cricket game should NOT be played in the UK,” former England captain Kevin Pietersen tweeted during the 2021 final of the WTC, adding: “If it was up to me, Dubai would always host a one-off match like this WTC game. The neutral venue, fabulous stadium, guaranteed weather, excellent training facilities and a travel hub! Oh, and ICC home is next to the stadium.” Sounds good right?, but the heat in Dubai at this time of year would have been terrible for the players. The temperature in Dubai hovers around 40 degrees Celsius, making a five-day day game nearly impossible.Â
The other question which must be addressed here is if the ICC is really helping Test cricket survive if it’s gate-keeping the final of the WTC to an elite audience in England. Yes, the atmosphere there can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world but keeping the final in England means the governing body is giving a little too much value to history. A final in England also means that the game gets heavily tilted towards the bowlers more specifically the pacers. For context, take the example of the IND-NZ final in 2021. New Zealand went in with 5 pacers including a pace-bowling all-rounder while India who went in with 2 spinners struggled in the game. India didn’t account for rain and that probably cost them the final. But it’s also true that constant change in weather also determines the effectiveness of bowlers in England while the same isn’t the case in other countries.
There’s a school of thought that the WTC final should be a three-Test series to have a fair assessment of the two finalists. “In the long run, a best-of-three final will be ideal as a culmination of two-and-a-half years of cricket around the globe. But we have to finish it as quickly as possible because of the FTP that will start all over again,” Indian team head coach Ravi Shastri had said. “The reality of the international cricket schedule is that we’re not going to have that month or so, blocking out a month or so for all the teams in the tournament for a final. That’s why (a) one-match final was decided upon,” Allardice was quoted as saying in a virtual news conference in counter to Shastri’s arguments.
As far as the ongoing tournament is concerned, Australia is leading the table and they have a real shot at the final. Teams like Pakistan, India and South Africa are still in contention for the final as well. While the inaugural champions and England are out of the race for the finals. According to the most recent Cricbuzz report, the WTC final would most likely be held on June 7 at the Oval. Much will, however, rely on the IPL final schedule, which might affect any date adjustment. The IPL will last for more than two months this time around, with a home-away schedule, and the final of the top competition might take place in the first week of June. Although no specific dates have been published, the IPL final is extremely likely to take place around the last week of May or the first week of June. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL commission are working on the newest season’s dates and schedule. England’s home schedule for next summer has been revealed. It all kicks off on June 1 with a one-off Test against Ireland. The Ashes will however begin on June 16th in Birmingham. As a result, some England and possibly Australian players may be forced to quit the IPL early. The IPL last year lasted until the last week of May, and the 2023 edition is projected to run longer. So as things stand, England is set to host the final of the next two World Test Championships.
