Southampton officially confirmed as the venue for ICC WTC Final

India and New Zealand will be up against each other in the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) this summer. The much-anticipated game is scheduled to take place from June 18. India booked their place in the final last week after winning the four-match Test series against England at home. The venue for the final has now been officially confirmed as the Rose Bowl, Southampton.

The decision was taken by the ICC Board after discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) where a range of options were considered to ensure the inaugural final could be staged safely with the potential impact of COVID-19 minimised for all involved. Southampton has already hosted international matches in the post-covid era.

While it was initially named as the venue for the final, the Lord’s will not host the final. The iconic stadium in London was originally scheduled to host the game but Southampton emerged as the front runner. Old Trafford in Manchester and Edgbaston in Birmingham were also in contention but Southampton claimed the honour because of the facilities at the ground.

Sourav Ganguly confirms venue for WTC final

Ahead of the final this summer, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had already confirmed the venue for the contest. Speaking to India Today, Ganguly had confirmed that the WTC final will be held in Southampton.

“I’m looking forward to attending the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand in Southampton. Yeah, it is in Southampton. It was decided a long time ago. Due to COVID and they [in Southampton] have the hotel absolutely close. When England resumed play after COVID, they had a lot of matches in Southampton due to the same reason,” Sourav Ganguly said.

Ganguly was further asked about the importance of the WTC final. The BCCI boss was asked if the WTC is up in the ranks with the 50-over World Cup. In reply, Ganguly subtly hinted that the tournament still has a lot of room for improvement. Ganguly said that things will be clearer when each team gets to play the same number of games. He also praised Team India players for their journey and congratulated them for making it to the WTC final.

“Every trophy has its own value. The 50-over World Cup is an amazing spectacle. It (WTC) was a bit complicated this time because of the pandemic. We will see when every team has played an equal number of games,” said Ganguly.

“Massive achievements given what the players have gone through. Right from the IPL in September to early March and they are not finished yet. A good 6 months in bio-bubbles and what they have achieved is fantastic. Looking forward to the WTC final and I hope we get past New Zealand. Congratulate Rahane, Kohli, everyone involved. The way Pant won India the Brisbane game was excellent,” he added.

Ganguly will be in England for the WTC Final:

Always good to interview @SGanguly99 glad he is healthy and back at work, will be in Ahmedabad for the T20s, will be in Eng for the WTC final, says final in Southampton as we had said on @SportsTodayofc, addresses the question what next for him and more. @IndiaToday

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) March 8, 2021