World Test Championship final will be held at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, ICC confirms
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) have confirmed that the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) will be held at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and not the Lord’s Cricket Ground as initially planned. The match will take place from June 18 to 22 and June 23 will be kept as a reserve day in case any of the previous days get washed out due to rain which is quite common in England.
The reason for the shift from London to Southampton is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having the bio-bubble restrictions and the like at the Lord’s Cricket Ground was said to have ‘logistical difficulties’ which were minimized in case of the Ageas Bowl due to the fact that there is a five-star hotel that is attached to the stadium.
GM of ICC confirms the decision
The GM of the ICC, Geoff Allardice spoke about the decision to shift the venue and said in a statement, “The ICC World Test Championship final is the pinnacle event in the Test calendar and is intended to be a week-long celebration of the oldest form of the game. A format that is rooted in tradition and features the best that the game has to offer. I would also like to congratulate both India and New Zealand for becoming part of history by reaching the first final.”
Meanwhile, Tom Harrison, the executive of the ECB expressed delight with the move and said, “We are delighted that the ICC has chosen to host the inaugural World Test Championship Final at The Hampshire Bowl. As the world’s first fully bio-secure cricket venue, it has shown itself capable of delivering international matches to the highest of standards, even against the backdrop of a global pandemic. I am sure the finale of the ICC World Test Championship will be a wonderful occasion.”
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Nevin Clinton
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