For the first time in eight years, the ICC Champions Trophy will be contested between the world’s best ODI nations.
The biggest white-ball tournament of the year will be held in Pakistan and the UAE.
Here is everything you need to know about the ICC Champions Trophy, including when Australia is playing and how to watch.
What is the Champions Trophy?
The Champions Trophy is a 50-over cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The original two editions of the tournament in 1998 and 2000 were known as the ICC KnockOut Trophy. These tournaments were held in Bangladesh and Kenya and were eight-team single-elimination tournaments.
In 2002, the format changed to having a group stage, followed by finals. Originally the tournament was held every two years, before a three-year gap from 2006 to 2009.
The tournament was then changed to be held every four years.
There was no tournament in 2021, meaning the last time the Champions Trophy was played was in 2017.
How can I watch the Champions Trophy?
The ICC Champions Trophy will be streamed on Amazon’s Prime Video in Australia.
Prime Video will also have a broadcast stream in Hindi.
You can follow on ABC Sport in our live ScoreCentres, linked below and tune in to our live radio coverage.
Where is the tournament being held?
For the first time in almost three decades, an international ICC tournament is being held in Pakistan.
It is the first time since the 1996 Cricket World Cup that Pakistan has hosted an ICC tournament, with security concerns hindering the nation’s ability to host.
From 2009 to 2019 there was little to no international cricket played in Pakistan.
However, not all matches at this year’s Champions Trophy will be played in Pakistan.
Due to political conflict, India will play all of its matches in the UAE. If India advances to the semifinal or the final, these matches will also be played in the UAE.
Who is playing in the Champions Trophy?
There are eight teams in this year’s tournament, divided into two groups of four.
Australia is in Group B with England, South Africa and Afghanistan.
Group A features Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Each team will play their fellow group members once.
The top two teams from each group will move on to the semifinals — the top team of each group will play the second-placed team of the opposite group.
The winners of the semifinals will play in the final on Sunday, March 9, starting at 8pm AEDT.
When are Australia’s pool matches?
All matches begin at 8pm AEDT
Who is in the Australian squad?
Australia will field a squad mixed with experience and young talent.
The two-time winners (2006, 2009) are missing several big names who have been mainstays in Australia’s white-ball teams for many years.
Captain Pat Cummins returned to Australia for the birth of his child, while fellow pace bowler Mitchell Starc withdrew last week for personal reasons.
Three other Aussies who have featured prominently in recent years but will not play in the Champions Trophy are Mitch Marsh (back), Josh Hazlewood (side strain) and Marcus Stoinis (retirement).
Australia Champions Trophy squad
Steve Smith (c), 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. Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
Which nations have previously won the Champions Trophy?
These nations were the winners of the eight previous Champions Trophy/ICC KnockOut Trophy tournaments:
- 1998: South Africa
- 2000: New Zealand
- 2002: India and Sri Lanka (Trophy shared after two attempts at playing the final were washed out)
- 2004: West Indies
- 2006: Australia
- 2009: Australia
- 2013: India
- 2017: Pakistan
