ICC confirms England as host of WTC finals until 2031

SINGAPORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday announced that England will host the upcoming editions of the World Test Championship (WTC) final until 2031. 

The WTC decision was taken during the ICC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Singapore where several key resolutions were taken.

The decision to hand over the hosting rights to England was made in light of the successful hosting of previous editions of the WTC finals. England has previously hosted the inaugural 2021 edition, as well as the 2023 and 2025 editions.

For the unversed, South Africa is the current holder of the ICC WTC title, having defeated the defending champions Australia in the final held at the iconic Lord’s in the previous month.

WTC final venues and winners so far:

1) New Zealand, 2021 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton

2) Australia, 2023 at The Oval, London

3) South Africa, 2025 at Lord’s, London

The ICC has also made a decision regarding Afghanistan’s women’s cricket. To support displaced women cricketers of Afghan descent, the ICC is providing valuable engagement opportunities at various events.

This includes the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, the T20 World Cup in England next year, and access to high-performance programs and domestic playing opportunities.

The initiative is being advanced through a collaborative effort led by the ICC under the supervision of Deputy Chair Mr Imran Khwaja, in collaboration with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Cricket Australia (CA).

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Apart from that, the ICC also announced the global winners of the 2024 ICC Development Awards during its annual AGM meeting.

The initiative, launched in 2002, celebrates the innovation and growth of the sport worldwide. Bhutan, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Scotland, Tanzania, the USA, and Vanuatu are the eight Members receiving top honours.

At the annual meeting, the ICC also welcomed two new Members, with the Timor Leste Cricket Federation and the Zambia Cricket Union being included as Associate Members, bringing the ICC’s total membership to 110.

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