As Champions Trophy 2017 Schedule has been announced by ICC, England are going to host the event third time. Cardiff, The Oval and Edgbaston are the venues for the event, which comprises 15 matches in 18 days, with the final at The Oval on June 18.
The top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings as of September 30, 2015 qualified for the Champions Trophy 2017. Teams are devided in two Gropus :- Group A : England, Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh, Group B : India, South Africa, Srilanka and Pakistan. West Indies and Zimbabwe failed to get spot in the event.
The opening match of the tournament is between England and Bangladesh on June 1. The top two sides from each group will qualify for the semi-finals in Cardiff and Edgbaston on June 14 and 15. The final match will be played at The Oval on June 18.
The ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said "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."
Unfortunately, England made the finals of both the previous tournaments at home, losing to West Indies in 2004 and to India in 2013. This time England will try to seal Champions Trophy title with batter performances.
The ticket ballot opens on September 1 and closes on September 30. The remaining tickets will go on sale in October.
