The wait for the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy is almost over, with just a few days left before the tournament begins. The upcoming event is set to kick off on February 19 in Karachi, Pakistan.
On the second day of the tournament, February 20, Bangladesh will begin its Champions Trophy campaign with a match against India in Dubai. However, before the main tournament, Najmul Hossain Shanto and his team will get the opportunity to play a warm-up match.
Before any ICC competition, participating teams usually play warm-up matches. These matches are typically played against teams that they will not face in the group stage. However, this time, many teams have chosen not to play warm-up matches before the Champions Trophy.
India has completed its preparations with a home series against England. Meanwhile, Pakistan is hosting a tri-series involving South Africa and New Zealand. After this series, Babar Azam and his team will head straight into the main tournament.
On the other hand, teams like Afghanistan and Bangladesh have not had enough opportunities for on-field preparation. Bangladesh last played in the ODI format in December. Therefore, they will have just one warm-up match before the Champions Trophy. South Africa and New Zealand are also scheduled to play warm-up matches.
Although Pakistan will not play any warm-up matches themselves, they have formed three ‘Pakistan A’ teams (Pakistan Shaheens), which will play warm-up matches against Afghanistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh. Additionally, the only warm-up match between two full-member teams will be between New Zealand and Afghanistan.
All warm-up matches will take place in Lahore, Karachi, and Dubai.
Complete Warm-up Match Schedule:
February 14: Pakistan Shaheens vs. Afghanistan (Lahore)
February 16: New Zealand vs. Afghanistan (Karachi)
February 17: Pakistan Shaheens vs. South Africa (Karachi)
February 17: Pakistan Shaheens vs. Bangladesh (Dubai)*
(*All matches will be day-night fixtures.)
