“Bangladesh will return to the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time since 2006 after the eight sides were confirmed for the 2017 tournament, which will be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) from 1 to 18 June,” The International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a media release on Wednesday on September 30.
ICC confirmed the 8 teams which will participate in the ICC Champions Trophy 2015 (50-over tournament). Test playing nations West Indies and Zimbabwe have missed out.
Bangladesh have replaced the West Indies, who finished outside the top-8 in 9th position, in the ICC ODI Team Rankings on the 30 September 2015 cut-off date, ICC added. Brian Lara-captained West Indies had won the 2004 edition of Champions Trophy beating hosts England by 2 wickets in a thrilling final at The Oval.
The 8 sides to play in Champions Trophy 2017 are (in rankings order): world champions Australia, title holders India, 1998 winners South Africa, 2000 champions New Zealand, 2002 co-winners Sri Lanka, hosts England, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bangladesh’s last participation in the Champions Trophy was in India, when they featured in the qualifying round. The Champions Trophy 2017 will be a 15-match tournament, with teams split into 2 groups of 4, with the top 2 teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals.
The groups and the schedule will be announced later. “With the sides for the Champions Trophy 2017 now confirmed, the next important qualification date in the diaries of the 12 teams on the ICC ODI Team Rankings will be 30 September 2017. That is the date when the top-8 ranked sides on the ICC ODI Team Rankings will earn direct qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 to be hosted by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board),” ICC said. The bottom 4 sides will get a second chance to complete the 10-team line-up in the World Cup when they will be joined by teams from the World Cricket League Championship and the World Cricket League Division 2 in the World Cup Qualifier 2018.
As such, all bilateral ODI cricket in the lead up to 30 September 2017, including the Champions Trophy 2017, will now have greater importance as only 27 points separate second-ranked India from ninth-ranked West Indies.
Source: Ittefaq