Pakistan’s Champions Trophy berth confirmed in new ICC rankings

E-Paper | March 18, 2026

Pakistan's participation in the 2017 Champions Trophy was confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the new rankings released by the governing body on Wednesday.

Pakistan were locked in a three-way battle with Bangladesh and West Indies for the final spot of the Champions Trophy, but edged out the Caribbean side after an ODI series win in Sri Lanka in July.

Azhar Ali's side are currently in the 8th spot in the ICC rankings just two points above the West Indies who are placed 9th in the ODI Team Rankings on the September 30, 2015, cut-off date for qualification in the eight-nation Champions Trophy.

The eight sides to play in the short 2017 event to be hosted by England are (in rankings order): world champion Australia, title holder India, 1998 winner South Africa, 2000 champion New Zealand, 2002 co-winner Sri Lanka, host England, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Bangladesh will return to the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time since 2006.

Bangladesh has replaced the West Indies, which finished outside the top eight in ninth position and will miss participation in the Champions Trophy for the first time in the tournament's history.

The 2017 Champions Trophy will be a 15-match tournament, with teams split into two groups of four, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals.

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point of view

Sep 30, 2015 02:36pm

Congratulations...

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Cyrus

Sep 30, 2015 02:38pm

The team has the time to improve ahead of 2017.

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Be humble

Sep 30, 2015 02:40pm

Hard work and dedication pays.Go team Pakistan!!!

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Truth

Sep 30, 2015 02:48pm

@Be humble You are right about hard work and dedication. However, Pakistan team wouldn't be hanging by a thread if they had shown some hard work and dedication.

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Shabir

Sep 30, 2015 02:54pm

Selection of team on merit players like Afridi should rest now YOUR COMMENT

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SHAH

Sep 30, 2015 03:05pm

They should include at least West Indies, for the spirit of cricket.....

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pure ind

Sep 30, 2015 03:06pm

Pakistani traditionally was a team that would be full of raw talent, very exciting with young blood, this present team looks a faint shadow of the earlier greats, batting against the Zimbabwe team was very poor, these kind of scores would be easily chased down by good teams, the fielding is no where close to world standards barring a few individuals like shehzad, the only saving grace is a good bowling line up, but with one day matches having batting friendly wickets would be a challenge for even good bowlers. As the saying goes, test matches are won by Bowlers, rest are won by Batsmen. All the best

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Indian

Sep 30, 2015 03:07pm

Bangladesh is improving. Pakistan need to select player on the basis of merit/performance. Afridi, Hafeez, Ajmal, Malik, Younis don't deserve to be part of national team. Should make a way for new young player, otherwise team like Afganistan will take over.

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Karachiites!!

Sep 30, 2015 03:23pm

Congratulations...

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Ali

Sep 30, 2015 03:26pm

@Shabir, Afridi has already retired from One day cricket.

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analyses

Sep 30, 2015 03:27pm

All thanks to Misbah's 'dynamic' captaincy, Pakistan slumped from top 4 ODI team to 8th during his captaincy tenure. People fail to realise how bad a captain he was. I would not say he was a bad batsman, as he made up for the low strike rate by having better batting average. However, the defensive mentality he passed on to others like Ahmad Shehzad, Hafeez, Azhar, Umar Akmal to go along with the defensive bowling changes and defensive field settings really damaged Pakistan's win/loss ratio in ODIs

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kaymalik

Sep 30, 2015 03:29pm

@Shabir : Afridi has already announced his retirement after the last world cup! Please update your knowledge base.

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expat

Sep 30, 2015 03:33pm

Standing at 8th is shameful

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SRIDHAR RAGHUNATHA RAO

Sep 30, 2015 03:35pm

I really feel bad for once mighty and invincible West Indies team.

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Harmony-1

Sep 30, 2015 03:35pm

Pakistan just got through and West Indies got left out, it doesn't seem right either.

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Shaam سے

Sep 30, 2015 03:41pm

Congratulations Pakistan, but I like the prefix on the Top 6 teams, world champion Australia, Title holder India, 1998 winner South Africa, 2000 champion New Zealand, 2002 co-winner Sri Lanka, host England

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Sep 30, 2015 04:00pm

We are playing!we are playing! Yehhhhh

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Mudassar

Sep 30, 2015 04:01pm

@analyses. 100% correct. Misbah has totally destroyed our ODI cricket. But the irony is that majority of the fans in Pakistan are unable to realize it. And therefore the problem has been transferred to new comers even after resignation if Misbah.

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Zeeshan

Sep 30, 2015 04:09pm

Pathatic to see Pakistan on no 8 position in a total of 12 teams.

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Syed Shahzad Bukhari

Sep 30, 2015 04:12pm

We have to witness this day in cricket, where Pakistan just managed to qualify and WIndies edged out by Bangladesh(BD).... But credit goes to BD for their remarkable performance in their backyard, hope they will tough time to opponents in coming CT.

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lafanga

Sep 30, 2015 04:12pm

Who would have thought few years back that Pakistan and Windies would sink this low in ODI rankings and India would climb to second.

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Azmeen

Sep 30, 2015 04:13pm

Good but the 8th position (bottom one) should be shameful for the managers of the Pak cricket.

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Asim

Sep 30, 2015 04:20pm

All the old players will play in the upcoming champion trophy..they will lose the tournament badly and then PCB will sack the old players and team will once again go into rebuilding phase. Then we will have World Cup in 2-3 years..and we will have an excuse that team is in rebuilding phase, dont expect them to win the WC...i can write the script for the next 2 decade i know how predictable PCB is...

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M. Siddique

Sep 30, 2015 04:26pm

Its dumb. All major test playing (Full members) teams should be in the game and take two associate teams. PLEASE do not bring politics in cricket.

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shek

Sep 30, 2015 04:29pm

@lafanga that's is the difference between complacency on continuous improvement. Just because you were good at it doesn't mean you will always be good at it.

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anees from zaida

Sep 30, 2015 04:34pm

While I am happy for Pakistan, I really feel sorry for WI. Those who gave the world of cricket legends and entertainers are not able to qualify really hurts.

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pure ind

Sep 30, 2015 04:40pm

@lafanga sincere request from our side, stop comparing things with India, Success or failure of India is not inversely proportional to that of Pakistan respectively!!!

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Mahen

Sep 30, 2015 04:44pm

NOT playing Zimbabwe during qualifying period has paid off!

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Mahen

Sep 30, 2015 04:50pm

Pakistan finished last at the CT in England! Cant see them getting ahead of Bdesh

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abdullah

Sep 30, 2015 04:54pm

...sounds like we've won the ICC CT, typical national mentality of contentment, satisfaction and over exaggeration with no/under achievement ....god help us

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Juggernaut

Sep 30, 2015 05:02pm

As per the above table West Indies had only played 35 games which is much less than pakistan, if they had played atleast 10 more games then West Indies might have qualified at 8th position. Really bad management by West Indies cricket board.

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Hammad Afzal

Sep 30, 2015 05:38pm

@Shabir Afridi has retired from ODIs.

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Shakil USA

Sep 30, 2015 06:11pm

@Cyrus - Well said. Totally agreed.

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Indipendant

Sep 30, 2015 06:25pm

@lafanga "Who would have thought few years back that Pakistan and Windies would sink this low in ODI rankings" Is easy to criticize Pakistan and Windies today. Ups and downs are part of the game. Have a little sportsman spirit.

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ADNAN MAZHER KHAN

Sep 30, 2015 06:34pm

i predict victory for Pakistan. Mark my words.

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AB Uzair

Sep 30, 2015 07:09pm

If its a 'Champion's' trophy, it should have just the top 4 teams playing a couple of rounds with each other.

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lafanga

Sep 30, 2015 07:19pm

@pure ind " stop comparing things with India" I will as soon as Indians stop doing it as well !!

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sam

Sep 30, 2015 07:34pm

@Be humble the result of ur teams hard work reflects in the ranking in which they r behind even Bangladesh..oh wait..now u may say it was a conspiracy by the big three especially India

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anony

Sep 30, 2015 07:37pm

Well done Team GREEN.

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Sam

Sep 30, 2015 07:49pm

PCB did a good job this time. However, still not sure about rating system future.

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Riaz Murtaza

Sep 30, 2015 07:58pm

India ahead and even Bangladesh ! Pakistan team keep it up.

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jack

Sep 30, 2015 07:59pm

@lafanga care to provide one instance please?

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Mullah Deewana

Sep 30, 2015 08:05pm

Shame on West Indies. They didn't even try to qualify by playing some ODIs against minnows before the deadline.

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M A Mujeeb

Sep 30, 2015 08:31pm

@Indian I observe that our Indian friends are always ready to belittle the Pakistan team. I wish Afghanistan good luck for securing a higher ICC ranking

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azkhan71

Sep 30, 2015 09:15pm

CONGRATS Pak Team...Bring the glory & cup back to Pakistan!!!

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Simran

Sep 30, 2015 09:28pm

Sneaked to qualify by avoiding playing three nation tournament.

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Moderate Voice

Sep 30, 2015 09:47pm

What has Pakistan cricket come to? If someone had said that Pakistan would be struggling to qualify for Champions Trophy in the 90s, they would be laughed at. From greats like Wasim, Waqar, Imran to this.

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Shahid Akbar, New York

Sep 30, 2015 09:58pm

It happens. Cricketing nations go thru the build up phase.

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hellowworld

Sep 30, 2015 10:29pm

keep parchi players at home, and we will see a different result from any tournament.

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Qamar ahmed

Sep 30, 2015 10:50pm

It is always luck which plays in favour of our team otherwise their performance is obvious in two T20s against Zimbabwe. Our bowling was destroyed with conspiracies by Australia and India in particular. While batting is pathetic.

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Aa2544

Sep 30, 2015 11:28pm

Rather than who should be given a chance or not, let's make domestic performance a criteria, which would inject more energy into domestic cricket

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parveez

Oct 01, 2015 12:12am

@Shabir Shahid has retired from one day cricket. Please leave the guy alone.

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Nasser

Oct 01, 2015 03:32am

@Ali Afridi should have retired a decade ago.

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Vorshal

Oct 01, 2015 04:52am

Great performance!

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ratan mia

Oct 01, 2015 05:04am

Are we not boycotting playing India, we should to teach a lesson.

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vish1

Oct 01, 2015 05:23am

Reads like a Hockey news! Pakistan manages to qualify...

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mohammad

Oct 01, 2015 06:44am

the best ODI is not there ha ha biggest B.S

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zack

Oct 01, 2015 06:45am

@analyses i can tell u must be another misbah critic.

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zack

Oct 01, 2015 06:47am

@Mudassar and people like u dont understand what cricket is.misbah is king misbah.

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ratan mia

Oct 01, 2015 07:19am

Is Pak really boycotting India in ICC champions trophy?

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CALCUTTA MAN

Oct 01, 2015 09:10am

@lafanga "Who would have thought few years back that Pakistan and Windies would sink this low in ODI rankings and India would climb to second." So what's your point? You suggesting BCCI is behind Pakistan's sinking standards in cricket?

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Vivek M

Oct 01, 2015 09:20am

Good to see another fighting unit will contest Champion's trophy.

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Mahen

Oct 01, 2015 09:22am

@ratan mia Sorry NOT interested

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SAC

Oct 01, 2015 12:15pm

What a sorry state of affairs for two great cricketing nations, which are competing against each other in mediocrity. Pakistan survived the scare, because West Indies is worst than them.

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Gulshan Grover

Oct 01, 2015 02:23pm

Thank You - India is not interested!

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ratan mia

Oct 02, 2015 02:55am

@Mahen -Not interested to boycott or not interested to play?

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Oct 02, 2015 06:22am

Mabrook.

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Mahen

Oct 03, 2015 06:31am

Sad to see Windies who easily walked all over Pakistan with the new world record of 4 wickets for one run left out!

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