Pak, SA, and NZ… Ex-England skipper picks his top four for Champions Trophy 2025

Now, with just a few days left, or rightly to say, the countdown has started for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the top 8 cricket nations are set to battle for this prestigious silverware. The tournament is making a comeback after an 8-year hiatus, last held in 2017.

The Champions Trophy is back on track and is expected to gain massive attention once again. Since the tournament is as big as any other ICC event, many cricket superstars are predicting their top four teams for the semi-finals. Among those making headlines is former England captain Kevin Pietersen, who is currently gaining massive attention for his interesting picks for the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finalists.

Pietersen’s shocking semi-final picks

For Pietersen, the two Asian countries, India and Pakistan, are the favourites to reach the semi-finals. Apart from them, he named South Africa and New Zealand, and that’s where things got interesting.

Speaking to Star Sports in a recent interview, he explained his choices, especially why he didn’t pick cricket powerhouses England and Australia. According to Pietersen, Australia are currently struggling with multiple injury issues, with several players pulling out, including Mitchell Starc, who withdrew due to personal reasons, dealing a blow to the Kangaroos. This was the main reason he chose not to back Australia.

As for England, Pietersen pointed out their poor form in the 50-over format, they recently lost a series against India. These factors, he believes, could affect their performance in the Champions Trophy.

“I mean, this is so hard. It really is. But with Mitchell Starc pulling out, I’m gonna say India, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand,” said Pietersen.

When is Champions Trophy starting

Clearly, not many days are left as the Champions Trophy is set to kick off on 19 February, with the first match scheduled between Pakistan and New Zealand at the National Stadium, Karachi, Pakistan.