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In what comes as a surprise news, the Netherlands men's cricket team has admitted that players and management were unaware that they could qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy by finishing in the top-8 group standings of the ongoing World Cup in India. 

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo Roland Lefebvre, high-performance manager at the Royal Dutch Cricket Federation (KNCB) made the revelation, which casts aspersions over the efficiency of ICC's communication channels. 

"We weren't aware. I just read the articles, and the ICC said it goes back to 2021 when it was decided. It would have been nice for them to remind the world of what the situation was and the significance of this tournament. But for us, we're still in line for the top eight," said Lefebvre. 

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The qualification criteria 

It was last week that an ICC confirmed 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. 

Notably, after ICC stated that the 2017 edition was the last iteration of the Champions Trophy, the governing body of cricket worldwide, in 2021, brought the global tournament back, to be held in the 2024-31 cycle. 

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Also read | England to miss out on Champions Trophy spot? ICC's qualification process leaves defending champions in mud

The development, however, came 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 of the situation. 

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. 

While Pakistan will qualify automatically as hosts, the seven highest-finishing teams at the WC will gain entry tickets to the Champions Trophy. Currently, the Netherlands sit eighth in the points table and could potentially qualify as Bangladesh and England struggle to conjure up points. 

The Dutch side, which has already won two games, have fixtures remaining against  Afghanistan, England and India. While two wins guarantee a qualification, a solitary win might also be enough. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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