‘A true pinnacle event’ - ICC Chief hails success of World Test Championship
"India was not playing, England was not playing, (but) Australia was taking on South Africa, and Lord's was packed, which means that we now have a pinnacle event in Test cricket," said Gupta.
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International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Sanjog Gupta stated that the three World Test Championship (WTC) finals held so far have successfully fulfilled the aim of establishing a pinnacle event for the traditional format. New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa have each lifted the WTC mace once, while India have finished as runners-up on two occasions.
Gupta highlighted that a packed Lord’s during the most recent final between Australia and South Africa, despite the absence of both India and hosts England, was a landmark moment for the global cricketing body. He noted that the impressive turnout demonstrated how the WTC final has generated genuine interest among fans worldwide, who now anticipate it with the same excitement as other major ICC events.
"What the World Test Championship final attempts to do, beyond just being a five-plus-one-day event where the two best teams compete for the greatest prize in the format, is to give context to the two years of Test cricket that precedes that final," Gupta said during the announcement of ICC's global partnership with AB InBev India.
"That was the endeavour with which the World Test Championship was launched and what we've seen with three editions past us now, is that the World Test Championship final has definitely delivered on the goal of providing a pinnacle event for Test cricket. The last World Test Championship final was played between Australia and South Africa in England, and Lord's was packed,” he added.
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Gupta acknowledged that the growing anticipation among fans in the months leading up to the final further strengthens the broader narrative and storytelling surrounding Test cricket.
"India was not playing, England was not playing, (but) Australia was taking on South Africa, and Lord's was packed, which means that we now have a pinnacle event in Test cricket which the world waits for, or the world that enjoys Test cricket waits for. The other thing that it did was, in the six months leading up to the World Test Championship final, the entire narrative was around who will feature and that gives additional meaning, context, and significance to the bilateral Test cricket that's being played in the lead-up to that World Test Championship final," Gupta concluded.
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