England captain Ben Stokes made shocking comments ahead of the first Test in the three-match series away to New Zealand. Ben Stokes has said his team is not aiming to reach the final match of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), describing it as a “totally confusing” concept.
The World Test Championship was introduced in 2019 to give more context to test matches. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC cycle (2019–2021) by defeating India in the final in Southampton in June 2021. Australia defeated India in the final at The Oval in 2023 to secure the title in the next round.
England are out of the running for next year’s WTC Final Qualifiers
The England national cricket team finished fourth in the first two editions of the World Test Championship. They are now out of contention to reach the finals of WTC’s ongoing streak. They are currently sixth in the standings and playing the sixth and final series of the cycle.
England’s series defeats against India and Pakistan have moved them up to sixth in the WTC standings. Currently, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are the teams fighting for the top two spots to qualify for the finals at Lord’s in London in June 2025.
We play more cricket than anyone else – Ben Stokes
In a press conference ahead of the first England-New Zealand Test, Ben Stokes stressed that if they perform consistently well, they will play in the WTC final. Stokes admitted that he did not spend much time thinking about the WTC concept.
“To be honest, the World Test Championship is a bit of a mess, it’s a bit of a mess, you know, we don’t really look at it, I don’t. It’s one of those competitions that’s been around for a long time. If you’re playing really good cricket, if you’re getting the results you want, then in the final and you’ll find yourself there in the mix,” Stokes said.
“To be honest, I can’t remember if I’ve given myself any real time to think about the World Test Championship specifically because it’s completely confusing, we play more cricket than anyone else. Focus, you know, if we play well, we’ll be there or thereabouts, but if we don’t, we won’t be,” he said.
It’s About Taking it Game by Game – Ben Stokes
After becoming the Test captain in mid-2022, Ben Stokes led England to many victories in red ball cricket. He said that the team approaches each series one by one. Stokes added that it would be a great achievement to qualify for the WTC final, but it feels really strange to play for so long.
“For me and this team, it’s game-by-game, series-by-series, and if you find yourself in the position you are in the final of the World Test Championship, that’s great, but it’s very strange to know. you’re playing for something for a long time,” Stokes said.
Also read: Mohammed Siraj issues open challenge to Marnus Labuschagne ahead of Day-Night Test
