The ICC Champions Trophy, which takes place in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates is fast approaching. Eight teams will battle it against each other to win one of cricket’s greatest prizes. This will be the first ICC event to be held in Pakistan since the 1996 50-over World Cup, which Sri Lanka won.
This will be the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy, with Australia and India winning it twice. South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand all have one Title.
The tournament will commence on 19 February, with the Final taking place in Lahore or Dubai on 9 March.
Venues:
Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi will host the matches in Pakistan, while India’s games will be in Dubai. Here is a closer at the venues.
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: Capacity: 27,000
National Stadium, Karachi: Capacity: 34,238
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: Capacity: 15,000
Dubai International Stadium, Dubai: Capacity: 25,000
Format
The eight teams will be split into two groups of four. The hosts will lead group A, which includes Bangladesh, India and New Zealand.
Afghanistan, Australia, England, and South Africa will be featured in Group B.
The top two sides in each group will contest the semi-finals, with the winners of those games facing each other in the Final.
New Rules
The ICC has made some adjustments to the rules in this Tournament.
- The first powerplay will be switched from the first 10 Overs to the first 12
- Teams will also have the option to implement a “floating powerplay” at any stage between the 30th and 40th overs
- Super Over will take place if a match ends in a Tie
So that’s it for the opening part of our Champions Trophy Preview.
Tune in for part two on World In Sport.
