Former giants West Indies face World Cup Qualifier route, again

Two-time champions West Indies will have to go through a qualifying tournament to reach the 2027 ODI World Cup after missing out on a direct place.

The top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings on September 30 will qualify automatically, with hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe already assured of places. Afghanistan secured one of those spots after beating Ireland, joining Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and Bangladesh among the teams guaranteed a place.

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West Indies, ranked 10th, still have two ODIs against India before the September 30 cut-off, but even two wins will not be enough to move them into the top eight.

They will therefore enter the Qualifier in February next year. West Indies also had to go through the Qualifier for the 2023 World Cup, but finished fifth and missed the tournament altogether -- the first time they had failed to qualify for a World Cup. They subsequently missed the 2025 Champions Trophy as well.