Lucknow

Current ODI World Cup champions England might be on the brink of not qualifying for the Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in 2025 in Pakistan. The top seven sides at the end of the league stage at the ongoing World Cup in India will qualify for the eight-nation tournament, according to an ESPNcricinfo report. 

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An ICC spokesperson confirmed to the publication that the qualification for the Champions Trophy rests on the World Cup group standings and that it was approved by the ICC Board in 2021. After it was stated that the 2017 edition was the last iteration of the Champions Trophy, ICC in 2021 brought the global tournament back, to be held in the 2024-31 cycle. 

Cricket boards surprised

The development, however, has come as a surprise to several cricket boards. Teams who are currently in India as well as those who did not qualify for the World Cup were unaware that ICC had set group stage standings as the basis for qualification. 

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The qualification method means that the likes of West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland and other nations will not have an opportunity to even stake a claim for a spot in the tournament. 

Notably, for the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Champions Trophy, the top eight teams in the ODI rankings at a cut-off date qualified for the event.

Fans expressed confusion regarding the qualification process after Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan during a post-match conference highlighted the importance of finishing in top-eight. 

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"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," said Shakib. 

Also read | World Cup 2023: Maxwell reveals he was 'cooked' and didn't expect to hit the record-breaking century

Currently, England find themselves at the bottom of the points table with only one win in five games. Hence, England's match against India, currently underway at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow assumes paramount importance for the Three Lions. A defeat against India would mean an uphill task for the WC champions to climb out of the bottom. 

Apart from the World Test Championship, the Champions Trophy is the other global tournament that England is yet to emerge victorious in. If England fail to make the cut, it will be embarrassing for the reigning ODI and T20 World Cup champions, who have dominated the white-ball format for the major part of the last half-a-decade. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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