Champions Trophy 2025: Records that Can Qualify Teams, England’s Struggle; Afghanistan’s Opportunity
The upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, set to be hosted in Pakistan, is making headlines. The top seven teams in the current World Cup rankings will vie for a spot in this prestigious tournament. As the host nation, Pakistan has already secured its place.
It’s interesting to note that the qualification criteria for the Champions Trophy was revamped in 2021 by the ICC Board. Under these new rules, teams that rank within the top seven at the end of the league phase of the World Cup are eligible to participate in the Champions Trophy.
England’s team may find themselves outside the tournament. As of now, they hold the 10th position in the points table after a less-than-impressive performance in the 2019 World Cup, winning just one out of their six matches. To qualify for the Champions Trophy, England needs to secure victories in their last three matches. Similarly, Afghanistan also has a chance to make it to the tournament, while other countries like West Indies, Ireland, and Zimbabwe have missed out on this opportunity.
The current World Cup standings have added extra motivation for teams to qualify for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, as securing a spot in the top seven will mean competing in an eight-team competition, alongside the host nation, Pakistan.
An ICC spokesperson confirmed that the qualification system for the 2025 Champions Trophy was approved during the ICC meetings in 2021 when the tournament was reintroduced into the international calendar spanning from 2024 to 2031. The tournament’s structure will follow the traditional format, dividing the eight teams into two groups, with the top two from each group proceeding to the semi-finals, followed by the final.
The participation of teams from non-full member boards in this event has raised eyebrows. The teams from countries where the game of cricket is popular and those that failed to qualify for the One Day World Cup are now eligible to compete in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The decision to include these teams within the top seven teams is primarily due to a significant alteration by the ICC’s Chief Executive Committee. This was later approved by the ICC Board.
In 2021, during ICC meetings, discussions were held about qualification pathways for all events. The 2027 Men’s One Day World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, will include 14 teams. It will have the host nations South Africa and Zimbabwe and the top eight teams in the rankings. Four more teams will qualify through a global qualifier tournament on March 31, 2027.
