ICC Champions Trophy Qualification: The conclusion of the league stage of the ongoing ODI World Cup in India will determine the top seven teams that secure a spot in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Additionally, the host country, Pakistan, will automatically participate in the eight-team event. ICC Champions Trophy Qualification
ICC Champions Trophy Qualification
An ICC representative confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the qualification system for the 2025 Champions Trophy was endorsed by the ICC Board in 2021. This decision was made as part of the plan to reintroduce the competition as one of the eight major men’s global tournaments scheduled for the 2024-31 cycle.
This development has caught some cricket boards by surprise, including those with teams currently in India for the World Cup and others whose teams didn’t make the cut for the ODI World Cup. They expressed their lack of awareness about the 2025 Champions Trophy qualification being tied to the current tournament.
At present, Bangladesh and England find themselves in the 9th and 10th positions on the ODI World Cup points table, placing them outside the top seven positions that secure a spot in the Champions Trophy, along with host Pakistan. Consequently, other Full-Member nations like West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland will not have the opportunity to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy since they did not participate in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
In November 2021, the ICC unveiled a series of global events for both men and women in the new 2024-31 cycle, including two editions of the Champions Trophy in 2025 and 2029. According to the ICC’s announcement, the Champions Trophy will feature eight teams and follow a tournament structure similar to previous editions, comprising two groups of four, followed by semi-finals and a final.
For the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Champions Trophy, the top eight teams in the ODI rankings at a specific cut-off date qualified for the tournament. It appears that the decision to have the top seven teams in the current World Cup qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy was initially approved by the ICC’s chief executives committee, with subsequent ratification by the ICC board.
One Full Member board confirmed that the qualification criteria for all these events were discussed and agreed upon during the 2021 ICC meetings. Regarding the 2027 men’s ODI World Cup, scheduled to be a 14-team tournament co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, the qualification process involves the two Full Member hosts (South Africa and Zimbabwe), the eight highest-ranked teams as of March 31, 2027, and an additional four teams determined through global qualifier tournaments.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan emphasized the importance of finishing in the top eight in light of the 2025 Champions Trophy qualification. With his team facing slim chances of reaching the World Cup semi-finals, Shakib stressed the need to secure a position within the top eight rankings, saying, “I mean, not the semi-final hope. It is not a semi-final possibility. At least, do a little better. Suppose, you have to be in the [top] ranking 8 if you want to play in the Champions Trophy. So, there are still three matches left considering that in mind.”
