The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the ‘Playing Conditions’ of the World Test Championship (WTC) final in a media release on Thursday. The final of the inaugural WTC would be held from June 18 to June 22 at Aeges Bowl in Southampton.
Team India with 121 ratings and New Zealand placed at second spot (120 ratings) in the ICC Test Rankings are the two contenders for the trophy of the grand event.
However, ICC has kept June 23 as a reserve day, but the official media release also stated that the reserve day would only be used to compensate for the loss of playing hours if the lost time can’t be recovered through normal provisions.
If the contest ends in a tie or a draw, then the reserve day won’t be used, and both the teams, irrespective of their position in the Test Rankings, would be declared as joint winners.
The cricketing fraternity is divided on their opinion over these regulations. Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer took a sly dig at the ICC for listing such difficult to comprehend protocols for the final.
Jaffer posted an image from the famous blockbuster movie ‘Munnabhai MBBS’ in which Bollywood actor ‘Sanjay Dutt’ can be seen asking a credible student of his class to explain the lecture after the latter has understood it.
The former Indian opener tagged off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, indicating that Team India would ask their veteran tweaker to expound them the bizarre rules.
“India Team to @ashwinravi99 right now #FirstBencher #WTCFinal,” Jaffer commented with a laughing emoticon.
Indian team to @ashwinravi99 right now😄 #FirstBencher #WTCFinal https://t.co/n3zbgrAWCG pic.twitter.com/wejeVL8VdK
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) May 28, 2021
Netizens were rolling on the floor after seeing Jaffer’s tweet and joined him in the fun.
Hahaha. Run out kardiya Non striker end pe.
— sundaram (@sundara08061407) May 28, 2021
— Aj (@AjessePinkman) May 28, 2021
😂😂😂
— Monish MSDian™ (@Monish_dhoni) May 28, 2021
ICC literally just released a "Cricket for dummies" brochure…
— Alash Shrivastav (@that__vance) May 28, 2021
Our daily dose of entertainment.
— ANUJ😎 (@IamAnuj17mhjn) May 28, 2021
Kon padhega 98 pages..
Ashwin is also engineering Guy so wil read just a night before WTC match
— Alkesh Vekriya (@Vekriya) May 28, 2021
https://twitter.com/MondayMourner/status/1398156467484565505
Meanwhile, Indian cricketers are quarantining in Mumbai from where they’ll leave for England on June 2 to participate in the WTC final, followed by a five-match red-ball series against the hosts.
