England is sixth on the World Test Championship points standings after winning nine of their last 19 games. With their current 40.79-point percentage, they appear to have no chance of making it to the 2025 final. Speaking on the subject, captain Ben Stokes said he seldom considers the competition and doesn’t grasp the WTC concept, preferring to concentrate on each game individually.
Although the present generation of cricket players does not focus on it, the all-rounder continued by saying that England would ultimately make it to the final if they play strong and consistent cricket in a cycle. He also emphasized that the Three Lions are the team that plays the most Test matches and therefore they must focus on the current series more than WTC.
The World Test Championship is, to be honest, a little puzzling
it’s one of those events that neither I nor we really pay much attention to. “If you’re playing excellent cricket and you’re getting the results you want, it’s one of those where you’ll eventually find yourself in the final and in the mix,” Stokes said.
We try to concentrate on playing cricket more than anyone else, so if we play well, we’ll be there or thereabouts, but if not, we won’t be. “To be honest, I can’t remember if I’ve ever given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship because it’s completely confusing,” he continued.
For a three-match Test series, England is currently on tour in New Zealand. On the first day, the hosts batted brilliantly, as New Zealand scored 319/8 thanks to 93 from Kane Williamson. The standout bowler for England was Shoaib Bashir, who took four wickets.