The inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final will be played between the top two teams on the Test rankings, India and New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Some of the reports of Cricbuzz have also suggested that as many as 4000 fans will be allowed to witness the marquee fixture. May 19 saw the first stance of fans being allowed inside the stadium in England since September 2019 to witness the County Championship fixture between Hampshire and Leicestershire at the same venue.
According to the same report, Rod Bransgrove, the head of the Hampshire County Club, has said, “We’re staging a four-day county game from today, and for the first time since September 2019 fans were allowed for a cricket match in England. The other county games of this round will begin tomorrow and those games too will see crowds.”
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He further added, “I understand 50 percent of the permitted crowds will be taken by the ICC for its sponsors and other stakeholders and we will be selling the rest 2000 tickets. We have already received more than double applications from the fans. It is a high-interest game and there is a good demand for it.”
The ICC has asked the Hampshire County Club to hand over all their corporate boxes ahead of the World Test Championship final but Bandsgrove is hoping that the County will get its share too.
The head of that club informed, “Given the travel restrictions and quarantine protocols, I am not sure how many of ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India members will come for the game. We will be happy to sell those tickets too. We are waiting for the Indian team to complete their quarantine in India and arrive here. We are ready to host them.”
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Team India has started its two-week-long isolation in Mumbai from Wednesday and they will undergo another 10-day quarantine once they land in England on June 02/3. The visitors will, however, be allowed to train during the quarantine ahead of the World Test Championship final.
