The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday (July 20) confirmed that England will host the World Test Championship Finals until 2031.

The decision was taken keeping in mind the track record of the ECB over the last three editions of the Championship. The WTC Final has been staged in three venues in England, namely Southampton (2021), The Oval (2023), and Lord's Cricket Ground in 2025.

"The Board also confirmed the awarding of hosting rights for the ICC World Test Championship Finals for the 2027, 2029, and 2031 editions to the England and Wales Cricket Board, following a successful track record in hosting recent finals," the ICC said in its release.

This was among several key outcomes from the ICC Annual Conference 2025, held in Singapore this week.

The apex body provided update on displaced Afghan women cricketers’ initiative, citing that the players will receive key engagement opportunities at ICC events, including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 and the T20 World Cup next year in England, as well as through high-performance initiatives and domestic playing opportunities.

The ICC also welcomed two new Members, with Timor Leste Cricket Federation and Zambia Cricket Union included as Associate Members, taking the ICC’s total membership to 110.

Moreover, a decision was made on USA Cricket, who have been given three additional months to undertake comprehensive governance reforms, including but not limited to completing free and fair elections within the period.

Among other announcements, Mr Gurumurthy Palani (France Cricket), Mr Anuraag Bhatnagar (Cricket Hong Kong, China) and Mr Gurdeep Klair (Cricket Canada) were elected to the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) as Associate Member representatives.

(With ICC Inputs)