The next final of the World Test Championship (WTC final) that is scheduled to take place in 2027 could be played in India. According to reports, the BCCI is set to make a formal proposal to the ICC for the hosting rights in the coming days.
The first two finals of the tournament were played in England, and the third WTC final is also set to be played in England next month. First-ever WTC final in 2021 was played at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl, while the second one took place at the Oval. The upcoming third final between Australia and South Africa is scheduled to take place at Lord’s.
In the past, several high-profile Indian cricketers have questioned the WTC final venue. In 2023, former India Test captain Rohit Sharma had expressed his displeasure over England hosting the final for the second time in a row.
“Why after the IPL final? Why cannot it be March? June is not the only month we should play the final. It can be played any time of the year and anywhere in the world, not just in England, it can be played anywhere in the world,” Rohit had said.
Well, it looks like the venue for the next final is unlikely to be England as India are all set to bid for the hosting rights. According to a report in The Guardian, the BCCI expressed its intention to bid for the 2027 final at a meeting of the ICC’s chief executives committee in Zimbabwe last month.
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ICC concerned over WTC final in India:
The report further stated that giving India the hosting rights for the WTC final could create a big problem for the ICC. The main area of concern is India’s deteriorating relations with Pakistan, which are now at an all-time low due to the ongoing tension between the neighbours.
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series against each other since the 2012/12 season, while the last Test series between them took place in 2007. However, they play against each other in the Asia Cups and ICC competitions. India have also not visited Pakistan since 2008 and refused to travel to the country earlier this year for the Champions Trophy.
ICC could find itself in a tricky situation if Pakistan qualify for the final and refuse to travel to India. While the game could be played at a neutral venue in that scenario, there is also a chance of India refusing to play against Pakistan altogether. Earlier this week, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir said that all the games between the two countries should be halted.
“My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Until all this stops, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan. No cricket match or Bollywood or other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens,” Gambhir said in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The governing body of the game is also worried over the prospect of poor ticket sales should India fail to qualify. ICC has not faced any issue regarding ticket sales in England, even though the home team has not played in the final so far. The upcoming final is sold out for the first four days, while the 2023 final at the Oval was also sold out.