ICC reportedly rejects BCCI's proposal to host WTC final in India

As per the latest report, BCCI has failed to convince Jay Shah-led ICC and England are set to continue hosting the future WTC Finals. read more

England are reportedly set to host the next three WTC Finals as well. Image: Reuters

The World Test Championship (WTC) Final will not be coming to India anytime soon as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly rejected a proposal by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). England, meanwhile, are set to continue hosting the WTC Final.

As per the Telegraph in the UK, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is close to agreeing a new deal with the ICC that will see it host the 2027, 2029 and 2031 WTC Finals.

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ICC rejects BCCI’s bid to host WTC final

All three WTC Finals so far have also been hosted in England with South Africa winning the latest on Saturday at Lord’s. The 2021 final was held at Southampton, while the 2023 final was played at the Oval in London.

“English cricket is close to securing hosting rights for the next three WTC finals, despite India’s strong interest in bringing the event home,” the report in the Telegraph stated.

“The decision is expected to be formalised at the ICC’s Annual Conference in Singapore next month, with preparations for the 2027 final to begin soon after the current edition concludes.”

The report added that the BCCI “repeatedly” called for rotating the WTC final among different Test-playing nations, but the Jay Shah-led ICC has decided to stick with England for the next three editions.

Why does ICC prefer England for WTC Final?

One of the major reasons ICC prefers England as the host of the WTC Final is the fact that the summit clash is always held in June. England offers ideal weather conditions in June for a Test match. It’s the start of English summer, hence, the chances of rain washing out a match are less and the temperatures are also not very high.

England also regularly manages to pack the stadiums during the WTC finals and the national team’s Test matches. The ease of logistics is also reportedly a major reason behind ICC preferring England.

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