(Web Desk) – Apart from the host nation Pakistan, the top seven teams at the conclusion of the group stage in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 will secure their places in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Pakistan, as the defending champions and tournament hosts, will receive an automatic qualification, ensuring their presence in the eight-team competition, marking its return after an eight-year hiatus.
As per the information provided by an ICC spokesperson to an outlet , the qualification criteria for the Champions Trophy 2025 were established by the ICC Board in 2021 when the tournament was reinstated.
Surprisingly, many cricket boards, including some not participating in the current World Cup, were unaware that their participation in the 2025 Champions Trophy would depend on their performance in the ongoing mega event.
This oversight has led to the exclusion of cricketing nations such as the West Indies, Ireland, and Zimbabwe from the Champions Trophy 2025, as they failed to qualify for this year's World Cup.
In November 2021, the ICC unveiled a series of international cricket competitions for both men and women spanning the 2024-2031 cycle, featuring editions of the Champions Trophy in 2025 and 2029.
The ICC announced that the 2025 Champions Trophy would feature eight teams, following the format of previous editions, with two groups of four, semi-finals, and a final.
It's worth noting that for the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Champions Trophy, the top eight teams in the ODI rankings at a specific cutoff date were eligible to participate in the tournament.
The qualification scenario for the Champions Trophy 2025 came into the spotlight recently when Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan discussed it after his team's surprising loss to the Netherlands.
Shakib expressed, "I mean, not the semi-final hope. It is not a semi-final possibility. At least, you have to be in the top 8 rankings if you want to play in the Champions Trophy. So, with that in mind, we still have three matches left."