The Team That Tops The WTC Table Should Host The Final - Aakash Chopra Makes A Couple Of Suggestions For Second WTC Cycle
Published - 01 Jul 2021, 05:09 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:48 AM
Former India batsman Aakash Chopra has aired his views about how the final of the second World Test Championship should be conducted. He gave a couple of suggestions regarding the same.
India lost the inaugural WTC final to New Zealand last week in Southampton in a one-off final. The ICC has announced the series – 3 home and 3 away for each team similar to the first cycle – for the second cycle, which will be kick-started by India and England in the 5-Test series next month.
This time, points for each Test win/draw/tie are fixed for all Test matches, unlike in the previous cycle where the points at stake for each Test depended on the number of games in that particular series.
Aakash Chopra feels that in the second cycle, the final, whose specifications are not decided by the ICC yet, should be hosted by the side which emerges as the table toppers, albeit there will be some logistical challenges to stage the final in a rush after the league stage has completed.
“There are a couple of suggestions. You will not be able to change anything else as you have already announced that there will be only six series and home and away will have the same weightage but I have a suggestion for the final. The team that tops the WTC table should host the final,” Aakash Chopra said in his YouTube video.
“You might have to move the final two-three months here or there because of that but it is fine if you are playing just one match. If you are going to have three, it is great, then you can do it anywhere,” he added.
Give the toss to the visitor: Aakash Chopra
Continuing in the same aspect of the table-toppers hosting the final, Aakash Chopra further suggested that the toss should be eliminated, and the visiting team should be given the choice to bat or field first. He also adds that there will be a full crowd as well if the host team plays the final.
“When you are doing this, you should eliminate the toss. You should give the toss to the visitor, he can decide but it should happen where the hosts are.
“When you do it in the host nation, there will be huge crowds which you are always worried about. So you will not have to think too much about that,” the 43-year-old former opener further added.
