A financial disagreement with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could force the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift the much-anticipated World Test Championship final scheduled for next year out of the iconic Lord's venue.
A source near the developments told ANI much the same, adding that the situation involving discussions between ECB and ICC doesn't look that promising at the moment.
Read Also: Australia leapfrogs India after ICC changes points system for World Test Championship
"We could actually see the final of the World Test Championship set to be held from June 10 to 14 at the Lord's moved to another venue," the source said. "Too early to get into the exact details behind this, but there are certain financial issues that need immediate resolving if the final has to happen at the Lord's and at the moment the clouds are grey is all I can say."
The Lord's final is one of the prominent features of the Test championship, which has already been affected massively by the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple bilateral series included in the nine-team league competition have been postponed indefinitely, forcing ICC to announce on Thursday (November 19) a new points system.
The governing body will now allocate standings and arrive at the two finalists via a percentage-based points model, accounting only those matches that will get played till next March.
The change immediately meant that Australia, with 82.22% of points earned, jumped over India (75%) to claim the No.1 spot, making Virat Kohli and his team's task tougher to reach the final as they face Australia away and England at home in the coming months.
The Indian captain had earlier talked about how much important winning the Test championship title is for him.
"I think Test Championship, as an ICC tournament, should be right up there," Kohli had said. "All the other tournaments, for me, start under that. This is going to be the biggest of them all. Every team wants to make it to the final at Lord's. And we are not any different."
"We want those points and make sure that we qualify as early as we can, and be in that frame of mind to hopefully win that."
(Inputs from ANI)
