The World Test Championship’s format is quite controversial and has often been criticized by experts for its rigidness. The format features 9 teams toiling hard from head to toe for 2 years straight, only to lose it all away in just one game in the final. Ever since the introduction of the World Test Championship, the cricketing world is polarized between people who think that the current one-final format is apt and people who want the final to be a series of at least 3 matches.
Aakash Chopra criticizes the current format
The latest to join the list of WTC’s format critics is Aakash Chopra. Chopra expressed his dissatisfaction with the current format’s one-final rule. He believes that the final should be a series of at least 3 matches so that the teams could get a decent amount of time to settle in and perform to their best capabilities.
Tweeting his views, Chopra wrote in a 2 part tweet, “Why WTC Finals happen only in England? Neutral venue but it mirrors non-Asian conditions. Why does it have only one game? Why not have a Test series to determine the World Test Champion? Why not have one test each at home and one at a neutral venue? Ambitious…yes, of course.”
He further went on to write in the second part, “No tournament lasts two years to find its winner. So, please don’t throw ‘final should be one knockout game’ in my direction. Test cricket is a very unique sport…lasts five days. Championship lasts two years. Finals can surely be a 3-match series.”
Chopra is of the opinion that the final of the World Test Championship should not just be conducted in England but also somewhere outside. He suggested that the teams could play one test each at their home turf while the third one could be held at a neutral venue, which should be outside England.
India vs Australia at Oval
The two teams that have qualified for the World Test Championship final this season are Australia and India. The two teams will play the final from 7th June to 11th June at the Oval in England. This is the second time India have qualified for the final. Prior to this, India faced New Zealand at Lords in 2021 for the first edition of the World Test Championship final and lost by 7 wickets.
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