Champions Trophy ‘17 schedule announced; India-Pak on June 4

India and Pakistan will go head to head at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 4. The 18-day tournament, beginning from June 1, will also see matches played at the Cardiff Wales Stadium in Cardiff and The Oval in London.

Published : Jun 01, 2016 16:21 IST , London

(Left to right) ECB director (global events) Steve Elworthy, ECB Director (Global Events), England's ODI skipper Eoin Morgan and ICC's chief executive David Richardson during the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 launch.
(Left to right) ECB director (global events) Steve Elworthy, ECB Director (Global Events), England's ODI skipper Eoin Morgan and ICC's chief executive David Richardson during the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 launch.
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(Left to right) ECB director (global events) Steve Elworthy, ECB Director (Global Events), England's ODI skipper Eoin Morgan and ICC's chief executive David Richardson during the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 launch.

Defending champion India has been seeded second and will take on arch-rival Pakistan in next year's International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy in England.

The Asian powerhouses will go head to head at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 4. The 18-day tournament, beginning from June 1, will also see matches played at the Cardiff Wales Stadium in Cardiff and The Oval in London.

A couple of days before the all-Asian clash, Australia and New Zealand will lock horns at Edgbaston. Host England will take on Bangladesh in the tournament-opener at The Oval.

The tournament schedule was announced at The Oval exactly a year before the first ball is to be bowled in the tournament, in which a total of 15 matches -- including three knock-out games -- will be played over two and a half weeks.

The top eight sides as on September 30, 2015 have qualified for this tournament, with world champion Australia seeded number-one. It heads Group A, which includes fourth seed New Zealand, sixth seed England and seventh seed Bangladesh, who will be returning to this competition for the first time since 2006.

India leads Group B, which also comprises third seed South Africa, fifth seed Sri Lanka and eighth seed Pakistan.

The top two sides from each group will progress to the semifinal, which will be played at Cardiff and Edgbaston on June 14 and 15 respectively, with The Oval hosting the final.

There will be a reserve day for the final. Announcing the schedule, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “The ICC Champions Trophy is a short and sharp event, which is followed and enjoyed by the spectators and players alike.

“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.”

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