Many teams found themselves bewildered by the qualification criteria for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 edition. Following England’s humbling 100-run defeat to India, head coach Matthew Mott expressed his surprise, admitting that he had only become aware of the rules just an hour and a half before the match.
According to criteria set by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the top seven teams on the World Cup 2023 points table are set to secure spots in the 2025 Champions Trophy, along with the host nation, Pakistan.
England’s chances of making it to this prestigious event are in jeopardy, as they have suffered five losses in six games, leaving them languishing at the bottom of the points table. This dismal performance marks a stark contrast to their status as defending champions in the World Cup.
In a post-match press conference, Mott casually remarked, “I only found out about the qualification rules an hour and a half ago. Well, the ICC tends to modify the criteria quite frequently, and honestly, I don’t think it would have impacted our performance in this tournament in any significant way, so it’s not a major concern.”
In their upcoming matches, England is scheduled to face tough opponents in the form of Australia, Netherlands, and Pakistan. Except for their encounter with Bangladesh, England’s batting lineup has failed to live up to expectations throughout the tournament, despite boasting several talented all-rounders.
Their struggles with the bat were glaringly evident against India, as they were dismissed for a paltry 129 runs in just 34.5 overs. This marked the third consecutive match in which they were bowled out for under 200 runs.
