England will host the next three editions of men's international cricket's World Test Championship (WTC) Final, meaning by 2031 it will have staged the first six finals consecutively.
This decision was ratified at last week's annual International Cricket Council (ICC) conference in Singapore.
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Such a move has seemed likely ever since the last WTC Final, which was held at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London last month, contested by South Africa and Australia.
That occasion – with South Africa winning their first major ICC global event, in front of packed stands – followed on from the 2021 and 2023 WTC finals being held at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton and at The Kia Oval in south London, respectively.
In announcing that the finals in 2027, 2029, and 2031 will all take place in England, the ICC cited the country's "successful track record in hosting recent finals."
Richard Gould, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), also commented, saying: "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."
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By GlobalDataIt has not yet been formally decided which specific venue/s in England will host the trio of showpiece occasions.
England has partly been chosen due to its ability to pack stadiums for neutral fixtures (not just in cricket), and also because the English cricket season – for the most part – stands alone, in terms of running across the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Few other international fixtures are scheduled in June, when the first three WTC finals have all taken place, and there is also a slight easing of the Twenty-20 franchise league calendar in that month.
Hosting the event in England also allows either India or Pakistan to take part (if they qualify) – currently, neither of those teams are visiting the other country due to heightened geo-political tensions.
The 2023 and 2025 WTC finals have, in each year, come after the lucrative and prestigious Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 competition.
Jay Shah, chair of the ICC, was prominently visible in attending – and enjoying – the Lord's final last month, which saw $3.6 million in prize money given to South Africa and $2.16 million allocated to Australia.
In terms of other major cricket events to be held in England over the next few years, 2026 will see the ICC Women's T20 World Cup played there, while in 2030 the men's edition of that same tournament will come to town.
