Workers renovate the seating enclosure of the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore on January 29, 2025, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 cricket tournament. Picture: Arif ALI, AFP
THE CHAMPIONS Trophy is being revived after eight years with holders Pakistan hosting New Zealand in the opening game of the ninth edition on Wednesday.
The 2021 edition of the One-Day International (ODI) competition was initially scrapped by global body ICC in 2016, who wanted only one major tournament in each of the sport's three international formats, prioritising the 50-over World Cup.
They reversed the decision in late 2021. With politically-estranged rivals India and Pakistan deciding not to visit each other for ICC tournaments, India will play their matches in a neutral venue in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The top seven teams from the 2023 World Cup qualified for the tournament, along with hosts Pakistan. The teams are split into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
The squads of all teams, groupings and the fixtures are as follows:
CHAMPIONS TROPHY GROUPS
Group A: Pakistan (hosts), India, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Group B: Australia, England, South Africa, Afghanistan
CHAMPIONS TROPHY SQUADS
Pakistan
Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Coach: Aaqib Javed (interim)
Best performance: Champions (2017)
India
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy
Coach: Gautam Gambhir
Best performance: Champions (2002, 2013)
Bangladesh
Nazmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossai Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana
Coach: Phil Simmons
Best performance: Semi-finals (2017)
New Zealand
Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young
Coach: Gary Stead
Best performance: Champions (2000)
Afghanistan
Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran
Coach: Jonathan Trott
Best performance: Debutants (2025)
England
Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
Coach: Brendon McCullum
Best performance: Runners-up (2004, 2013)
Australia
Steve Smith (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa
Coach: Andrew McDonald
Best performance: Champions (2006, 2009)
South Africa
Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch
Coach: Rob Walter
Best performance: Champions (1998)
CHAMPIONS TROPHY SCHEDULE
February 19 – Pakistan vs New Zealand (Karachi, Pakistan)
February 20 – Bangladesh vs India (Dubai, UAE)
February 21 – Afghanistan vs South Africa (Karachi)
February 22 – Australia vs England (Lahore, Pakistan)
February 23 – Pakistan vs India (Dubai)
February 24 – Bangladesh vs New Zealand (Rawalpindi, Pakistan)
February 25 – Australia vs South Africa (Rawalpindi)
February 26 – Afghanistan vs England (Lahore)
February 27 – Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Rawalpindi)
February 28 – Afghanistan vs Australia (Lahore)
March 1 – South Africa vs England (Karachi)
March 2 – New Zealand vs India (Dubai)
March 4 – Semi-final 1 (Dubai)
March 5 – Semi-final 2 (Lahore)
March 9 – Final (Lahore / Dubai)
Reuters