The Champions Trophy gets underway this week, as England look for a timely return to form. A miserable white-ball tour of India saw England lose seven of their eight matches across the two formats, leading to questions over how well, and how much, the squad had trained under Brendon McCullum. Significant improvements will be needed if England are to progress out of their group, with their campaign starting with a blockbuster clash with Australia.
Pakistan are hosting the tournament, though India’s matches will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE after they announced they would not travel to Pakistan. The two sides play each other on February 23. This is the first edition of the Champions Trophy since 2017, when Pakistan lifted the trophy after beating India in the final at the Oval. Group A. Bangladesh. New Zealand. Pakistan.
Wednesday, February 19. Pakistan vs New Zealand. Thursday, February 20. Bangladesh vs India. Sunday, February 23. Pakistan vs India. Monday, February 24. Bangladesh vs New Zealand. Thursday, February 27. Pakistan vs Bangladesh. Sunday, March 2. India vs New Zealand. Afghanistan. Australia. England. South Africa. Friday, February 21. Afghanistan vs South Africa. Saturday, February 22. Australia vs England. Tuesday, February 25. Australia vs South Africa.
