ICC reveals Champions Trophy schedule

Australia’s resurgent rivalry with New Zealand is set to continue at the ICC Champions Trophy next year after the World Cup finalists were announced in the same group today.

The sport’s governing body marked 12 months until the opening day of the one-day international tournament by revealing the full schedule, in which eight teams will contest 15 matches across the 18-day event.

Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Edgbaston in Birmingham and The Oval in London will be the three venues to host the action, which begins 1 June next year.

Australia and the Black Caps will be joined by Bangladesh and England in Group A, while defending champions India are joined by South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

Despite taking home the ICC World Twenty20 title earlier this year, West Indies failed to qualify for the 2017 ODI tournament when they fell to ninth in the rankings at the time of the qualification cut-off on 30 September, 2015.

The event opens with England taking on Bangladesh, while the now standard India-Pakistan blockbuster will take place at Edgbaston on 4 June.

“The ICC Champions Trophy is a short and sharp event, which is followed and enjoyed by the spectators and players alike,” said ICC CEO David Richardson.

“The ICC Champions Trophy 2017 is not just an ODI competition, it carries a great deal of value since it is being played just three months before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 qualification cut-off date. As such, every point earned here could be crucial.”

The tournament will be hosted by the England & Wales Cricket Board once again, after India defeated the home side in the final of the 2013 edition.

Fans in green and gold could be forgiven for erasing that winless campaign from their memory, in what was remembered more for David Warner’s altercation with Joe Root and Mickey Arthur’s final assignment as head coach.

Australia last tasted Champions Trophy success in 2009 when Ricky Ponting’s men made it back-to-back titles.

The current World Champions will be out to defy the weather and a poor ODI record at Edgbaston dating back to 1993 when they take on New Zealand and England. Australia haven’t recorded a one-day win at the venue since 1993 – although a certain tie in 1999 proved rather handy - while four out of their last five outings have been brought to a close by rain.

Next year’s tournament marks the start of a hectic two-year period for the ECB, with England also set to host the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup, the 2019 Men’s World Cup and then the Ashes on their home soil.

Group A: Australia (Seed 1), New Zealand (4), England (6), Bangladesh (7).

Group B: India (Seed 2), South Africa (3), Sri Lanka (5), Pakistan (8)

*seeds based on rankings at 30 September, 2015

Schedule:

1 June – England v Bangladesh, The Oval (Day)

2 June – Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (D)

3 June – Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (D)

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)