Ravi Shastri proposed Ahmedabad as an alternative site for WTC final, but now God’s fine

The WTC final is one of the biggest ICC events and till now, only England has managed to host all the three finals. While all the other ICC trophies are hosted in rotation by countries in the world, WTC final remains the only exception for now. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that even though Ahmedabad in the country, can host the final, but for now, Lord’s remains as the most fitting venue.

Ravi Shastri went on to add that the venue in London, is instrumental in giving attention to the contest. That, when England is not even playing the WTC final — that has been the case in all the three finals. He also said, that once the tournament gains enough popularity, the final can also be moved to a venue like Melbourne.

“I think to start off initially, it’s good if it’s here (Lord’s) actually. Once it gets the popularity and eyebrows it deserves, then it can start shifting. But I think the MCG can be a great place for a World Test Championship Final. Ahmedabad can be a great place for the WTC Final. Basically, the places where you can draw a crowd. Because Lord’s is not a 100,000-seater stadium. So, irrespective of which team is playing, you know you will get a good crowd,” Shastri said.

Having said that, the ECB is set to host the next three WTC finals till 2031. And India has already expressed their desire to host the summit Test clash. As far as the WTC final record goes, in the first edition, New Zealand beat India, then in the next Australia beat India, and in the most recent clash, South Africa beat Australia.