Belfast [Ireland], August 11 (ANI): With Afghanistan sealing their direct spot within the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, two-time champions West Indies should undergo qualifiers for the third successive time to make it to the match, reported Cricinfo.
The highest eight groups within the ODI Rankings on September 30 this 12 months, excluding two of the three WC co-hosts, South Africa and Zimbabwe, are going to get an computerized spot within the 2027 showpiece occasion. Afghanistan will be a part of defending champions Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh, South Africa and Zimbabwe after a win within the third ODI at Belfast.
West Indies, ranked tenth within the ODI rankings, do have two ODIs in opposition to India within the closing date, however even profitable these two ODIs wouldn’t be sufficient for them, and the grind for them will proceed with the qualifiers beginning in February subsequent 12 months, as per Cricinfo.
West Indies have been knocked out of the 2023 WC rivalry and did not make it to the match as they completed fifth within the Tremendous Six stage and misplaced to the Netherlands in a shocker. It was the first-ever 50-over World Cup they missed, which additionally value them a spot within the ICC Champions Trophy, a contest which they haven’t featured in since 2013.
The winner of the World Cup qualifier shall be getting a direct entry into the group stage section of the match, whereas the groups ending second, third and fourth will battle within the ‘Tremendous Collection’ spherical of the World Cup for a spot within the group stage.
This alteration has not been obtained effectively by affiliate members, notably Scotland and the Netherlands, who issued a joint assertion on Monday to name it out as a ‘setback to affiliate member cricket’.
The qualifier consists of two bottom-ranked, non-host, Check-playing nations within the ODI Rankings as of September 30, 2026 (Eire and West Indies), the highest 4 groups from the Cricket World Cup League two and the highest 4 groups from the World Cup Qualifier Playoff. The World Cup Qualifier Playoff will characteristic the final 4 groups of CWC League Two and 4 groups from the Problem League (the third-division of cricket). The format is but to be determined, however the high 4 groups from this eight-team WC Qualifier playoffs will progress to the WC qualifier.
The Problem League, the third-division of cricket, could have 12 groups divided into two swimming pools of six, every taking part in three round-robin tournaments throughout a cycle, and the highest two groups from every group will transfer to the WC Qualifier Playoff. (ANI)
