England captain Ben Stokes has expressed his frustration with the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) format, calling it "utterly confusing" ahead of the first Test in the three-match series against New Zealand in Christchurch. Stokes' comments came during a pre-match interview, where he downplayed England’s focus on reaching the WTC final.

Despite being sixth on the World Test Championship points table with nine wins out of 19 matches, Stokes admitted that the team does not prioritize the WTC. With a 40.79-point percentage, England's chances of making the 2025 WTC final look slim, and Stokes highlighted that the format has never really been a target for his side.

“In all honesty, the World Test Championship is a bit confusing,” Stokes said. “It’s one of those where, you know, we don’t really look at it, I don’t look at it. Over a long period of time, if you’re playing really good cricket and getting results, you’ll find yourself in the mix, but I’ve never given any real time to thinking about it.”

England has played the most matches in the WTC cycle but has never reached the final. Stokes emphasized that the team's focus remains on playing good cricket and securing wins, rather than aiming for the WTC final.

“I can’t remember if I’ve ever specifically thought about the World Test Championship, to be honest. We play more cricket than anyone else does, and that’s just what we focus on. If we play well, we’ll be in contention, and if we don’t, then we won’t be,” he added.