Qualifications for the next edition of the Champions Trophy in 2025, set to be played in Pakistan, are at stake for teams currently engaged in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. Teams that finish in the top seven in the league phase will feature in the eight-team competition alongside the hosts – Pakistan – in the ICC event.
At the post-match presentation after the loss to India, England captain Jos Buttler said that he was aware of this rule while their head coach Matthew Mott revealed during the press conference that it was brought to their notice only ‘an hour and a half ago’. The erstwhile qualification process for the tournament was through ICC rankings for a given timeframe.
This rule proffers the likes of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and perhaps even Afghanistan an additional incentive to finish the tournament on a high, even if they aren’t authors of their own fortune completely as far as semi-final qualification is concerned.