Ben Stokes Questions World Test Championship Format Amid England’s Struggles

England Test captain Ben Stokes expressed his frustration with the World Test Championship (WTC) structure, calling it “utterly confusing”. Speaking ahead of the Thorpe-Crowe Trophy opener against New Zealand, Stokes highlighted England’s preference for a match-by-match approach over the WTC’s two-year cycle format, which he claims doesn’t align with their philosophy.

England, currently sixth in the WTC standings, has been eliminated from the 2023-25 final race. Despite their innovative “Bazball” strategy under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, the team has managed only nine wins from 19 matches this cycle. While explaining their gameplan and thought process, Stokes admitted:

For me and this team it’s about taking it game by game, series by series and if you end up finding yourself in the position where you happen to be in that world test championship final, then it’s great but it’s a real weird one knowing that you’re playing for something over a long period of time.

About their viewpoint on the WTC, Stokes further added:

I can’t remember if I’ve ever even given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship to be honest because it’s utterly confusing, we play a lot more cricket than anyone else does…..but if we don’t, then we won’t be.

Under Stokes’ leadership, England has played 29 Tests since 2020, with 17 wins, 11 losses, and one draw—demonstrating their preference for decisive outcomes. Meanwhile, India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka remain in contention for the WTC final at Lord’s in June 2025. England, however, has yet to make it to a WTC final across three cycles.