There was much criticism of how South Africa managed to reach the final without playing either Australia and England in the two-year qualifying period.
'If you end up finding yourself in the position where you happen to be in that World Test Championship final, then it is great, but it is a real weird one knowing that you are playing for something over a long period of time.'
The 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final will be played at the iconic Lord's cricket ground from June 11 to 15 next year.
The points table of the ICC World Test Championship.
Pakistan slipped to eighth in the World Test Championship standings following their 10-wicket loss to Bangladesh.
In the World Test Championship final in June, New Zealand, in all likelihood, will meet either India or England, who will clash in a four-Test series, starting on Friday.
Gupta highlighted that a packed Lord's during the previous edition's final between Australia and South Africa, despite the absence of India and hosts England, was a landmark moment for the global governing body.
India captain Virat Kohli says the competition in the traditional format has "gone up two-fold" in recent years.
India are yet to drop a point in the nine-team championship, having won three series in a row.
Kohli has no doubts that World Test Championship has added a context to the traditional format making the contests more exciting with points on offer.
Pandya has played 11 Test matches for India, scoring 532 runs at an average of 31.29 with a century and four fifties, along with 17 wickets at an average of 31.05 under his belt.
Pakistan will tour Bangladesh in March for a three-match ODI series in Dhaka as part of preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
A struggling, but promising South African unit will be aiming to avenge the heartbreak of 2024 by securing the grandest prize in T20I cricket on Indian soil, with the Proteas' 'Gen-Next' of Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kwena Maphaka in the spotlight.
The International Cricket Council has called a meeting with MCC, custodian of the game's law, to discuss the possibility of hosting a World Test Championship, according to media reports in London.
England and Wales will host the inaugural World Test Championship in 2017, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Saturday.
Cricket's World Test championship will not begin until 2017, International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat announced, in Dubai, on Monday.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins says his injury-forced withdrawal from the T20 World Cup was also driven by a desire to be completely fit for the upcoming Test season.
The source said that the PCB has now started the search for a new head coach of the Test side, and there could be an overhaul of the support staff as well.
Would like points to be doubled for away Test wins, says Kohli
India will host the World Championships for the first time since 2009, with the event seen as a key test of the country's ability to deliver large-scale international tournaments as it eyes the 2036 Olympics.
The ICC has promised concessions to the PCB for ending its boycott of the India match, but details will be revealed only after the T20 World Cup, sources said.
ICC has created the World Test Championship in an effort to give the five-day game greater context a
Seeking to restore structure and respect to the longest format, Gill has asked the BCCI for a 15-day preparation window before every Test assignment, a move that has resonated strongly with former cricketers.
'We are trying to see whether Test championship can generate interest'
The future of the World Test Championship to be held in in England in 2017 is in doubt and the tournament is expected to be shelved off quietly by the end of the month.
India captain Shubman Gill, head coach Gautam Gambhir along with Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel arrived in Kolkata late on Sunday ahead of the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa.
South Africa are the World Test champions and skipper Temba Bavuma wants them to play like it and prove their credentials in the two-Test series against India beginning on Friday.
The Sydney Morning Herald, on Monday, reported that plans for a nine-nation Test championship were under way and the ICC was set to give the concept a green light on Friday at a meeting in Auckland.
South Africa's experienced pacer Kagiso Rabada said their young team are ready for the challenge.
Images from Day 6 of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Wednesday.
India have continued from their early success of a 2-0 win in the West Indies and are now on 240 points after wresting the maximum of 120 points in both their series.
The ICC launched the WTC last year to lend context to bilateral Test series, giving the format its standalone showpiece like the World Cup in other formats.
The most pressing issue for the governing ICC is what to do about the six Test series
South Africa begins their T20 World Cup campaign against Canada, while Zimbabwe faces Oman in another match. Both South Africa and Zimbabwe aim to make a strong impact in the tournament.
Pooja Aatmaram has been suspended under Article 2.3 of the World Anti-Doping Agency's code.
'In general, I needed a short break from sports because I had worked extremely hard for the Paralympics. I was happy with my performance, but not winning a medal left me a little disappointed. I channelled my energy into other things... overall, the past year has been wonderful in its own way.'
India on Friday slipped a rung to sixth position on the World Test Championship standings after New Zealand's comprehensive nine-wicket victory against the West Indies in Wellington.
Harbhajan Singh says ICC is justified in acting against Pakistan over its refusal to play India, warning of legal action and strict sanctions.
A preview of Group D in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, featuring South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.
Temba Bavuma, who led South Africa to their maiden ICC World Test Championship title and a historic 2-0 series sweep in India, also made the cut, while four Australian players were included.
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