After suffering a disappointing loss to the Netherlands, Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, took the opportunity to elucidate the qualification scenario for the highly anticipated 2025 Champions Trophy. He elaborated on the team’s performance and the challenges they face in their quest to secure a spot in the prestigious tournament.
The defending champions of the 50-over World Cup, England, have experienced a dismal performance during their campaign in India. They have faced defeat in five out of their six league matches at the 2023 World Cup, with their recent encounter against the host nation, India, in Lucknow on Sunday turning into a nightmarish ordeal. As a result of these setbacks, Jos Buttler’s team is now teetering on the brink of missing out on the coveted qualification berth for the 2025 Champions Trophy, a dire consequence triggered by a surprising development introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during the ongoing tournament in India.
As per a report from ESPNCricinfo, an ICC spokesperson has officially validated the revised qualification system. Under this new format, the top seven teams at the conclusion of the league stage of the 2023 World Cup will secure berths in the forthcoming Champions Trophy. In addition to these seven teams, host nation Pakistan will also earn an automatic entry into the eight-team event. This significant modification was collectively agreed upon during an ICC board meeting held in 2021, marking a pivotal decision that coincided with the reintroduction of the Champions Trophy as an integral component of the cricket calendar for the 2024–2031 cycle.
The report also noted that the unexpected revelation on Sunday took a few cricketers by surprise. Notably, two of these boards are currently in India, while others who were unable to secure a spot in the World Cup this year were equally caught off guard.
In light of the present points table of the World Cup, Bangladesh, occupying the ninth position, and England, positioned at the bottom of the table, find themselves in dire straits. Both teams have managed to secure only a single victory, although Bangladesh achieved this feat in six league matches, whereas England played one match less. Consequently, this new qualification rule implies that full-member nations such as the West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland will not be able to participate in the upcoming Champions Trophy due to their failure to qualify for the World Cup.
On Saturday, Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, addressed the qualifying prospects for the 2025 Champions Trophy following his team’s defeat to the Netherlands. He articulated, “I mean, we shouldn’t be aiming for just a semi-final berth. The semi-finals are not within our reach at the moment. We need to perform considerably better. To secure a spot in the Champions Trophy, we must strive to be within the top 8 rankings. With three matches still ahead, we have to keep this in mind and focus on our performance.