by: Atika Mehboob TN Sport Pakistan:
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has elucidated the qualification route for the 2025 Champions Trophy set to be held in Pakistan.
According to a report from ESPNCricinfo, only the teams that are participating in the 2023 men’s World Cup are deemed eligible for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The ICC’s decision ensures that teams securing a spot among the top seven in the round-robin stage of the World Cup, coupled with the host nation Pakistan, will gain direct entry into the championship.
It’s significant to note that the bottom two teams in the World Cup rankings will not qualify for the Champions Trophy, regardless of their subsequent One Day International (ODI) match outcomes.
Given this qualification criteria, the West Indies, the champions of the 2004 Champions Trophy but non-participants in the 2023 World Cup, will not have a shot at the 2025 tournament. The story also underscored that several cricket boards were previously uninformed about this particular qualification mechanism.
