WTC Final Is Now a True Pinnacle Event, Says ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta believes the World Test Championship final has finally become the big stage Test cricket needed. He says the event now gives fans a clear climax to the two-year Test cycle and adds real stakes to every series.

Gupta pointed to the first three WTC finals, each producing a different winner. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have all lifted the mace. India finished runners-up twice. He feels this spread shows the title is global and not controlled by one team.

He also called the recent Australia vs South Africa final at Lord’s a turning point. The match was sold out even though India and England were not part of it. He said this proved fans now treat the WTC final like any other major ICC event.

The packed stands at Lord’s, according to him, showed how far the competition has come. He said fans around the world now wait for this match the same way they wait for big white-ball finals.

Gupta added that the WTC is not only about the final. The long race to qualify has changed how supporters follow Test cricket. In the six months before the title match, most fan debates focused on which teams would make it. This, he said, gave meaning to every bilateral Test and kept the format in the spotlight.

He summed it up by saying, “Lord’s was packed, which means we now have a pinnacle event in Test cricket which the world waits for. In the six months leading up to the final, the entire narrative was around who will feature and that gives meaning and context to the Tests played in the lead-up.”