The International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded the hosting rights for the next three World Test Championship (WTC) finals to England. The decision was taken at the world body’s annual conference, which concluded in Singapore on Sunday.

The three WTC finals scheduled in 2027, 2029 and 2031 after completion of two-year cycles will most probably be held in June, which is the time the cricket season usually begins in England.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has so far hosted all the three WTC finals, beginning from the one in 2021 in Southampton (India-New Zealand), 2023 at The Oval (India -Australia) and the most recent decider at Lord’s, where South Africa rallied to beat Australia by five wickets for their second ICC title.

“The Board also confirmed the awarding of hosting rights for the ICC World Test Championship Finals for the 2027, 2029 and 2031 editions to the England and Wales Cricket Board, following a successful track record in hosting recent finals,” the ICC said in a statement.

Even though England haven’t featured in any of the WTC finals so far, the turnout in Southampton, The Oval and Lord’s has been quite satisfactory. On all three occasions, empty seats were very few.

This only goes on to show how popular Test cricket continues to be in England, which may not be the case in other countries.

“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. Hosting these finals is a privilege, and we look forward to working with the ICC to build on the success of the previous editions,” ECB CEO Richard Gould added.

Regarding the United States cricket board, the ICC has given it three months to set its house in order. “In relation to USA Cricket, the ICC reiterated its previous position and confirmed that the organisation remains on notice.

“USA Cricket is required to undertake comprehensive governance reforms, including but not limited to completing free and fair elections within a three-month period. The Board, however, reserves the right to take such actions as it deems appropriate,” the ICC said.

The ICC board also decided that displaced Afghan women cricketers will receive key engagement opportunities during the next two global events — the women’s 50-over World Cup in India and Sri Lanka later this year and the 2026 women’s T20 World Cup in England.

The initiative is being advanced through a collaborative effort between the ICC, the BCCI, the ECB and Cricket Australia, a media release from the governing body stated.