Two-time ODI World Cup champions West Indies will once again have to negotiate a qualifying tournament to reach the 2027 World Cup after failing to secure a place among the teams guaranteed automatic entry.
Key Factors
It has not yet been decided which country will host the tournament. The winner of that tri-series will progress to the second round of the World Cup. However, the reformed qualification system has not been well received by some Associate nations. Hoey’s flight, dip, and sharp turn caused difficulties for Afghanistan.
The West Indies will therefore have to go through another difficult qualifying campaign, the 2027 World Cup Qualifier being held in February next year. For the West Indies, this most recent development is once again a blow in their attempt to regain the top spot in the 50-over format; since they were not able to qualify directly, they had to take part in the Qualifier for the 2023 ODI World Cup and ultimately ended up in fifth position in the Super Six phase, thus missing the tournament completely. West Indies had never before failed to qualify for the men’s ODI World Cup, and since their omission from the 2023 tournament they have also missed the 2025 Champions Trophy, a competition which they had not taken part in since 2013. The team that wins the Qualifier will be given direct entry into the second round of the 2027 World Cup, while those who finish in second, third, and fourth places will have to take part in the first round, which is called the Super Series. The Qualifier will include Ireland and West Indies, who are the two lowest-ranked non-host Full Members in the ODI rankings as of 30 September 2026, together with the top four teams from the Cricket World Cup League 2. The other four places will be taken by teams that advance from the World Cup Qualifier Playoff; this eight-team playoff will include the four lowest-placed sides from the CWC League 2 and four teams from the Challenge League, which is essentially cricket’s third division. Afghanistan booked their place at the 2027 ODI World Cup in Southern Africa after a thrilling three-wicket victory over Ireland in the second match of their five-game series, with captain Rashid Khan once again proving decisive with both bat and ball. This victory secures Afghanistan’s place in the 2027 ODI World Cup in Southern Africa. They will make their fourth straight appearance at the tournament and take a strong 2-0 lead in the five-match series against Ireland. Rashid took three wickets, helping Afghanistan limit Ireland to 206. He then scored an unbeaten 37 as Afghanistan chased down the target with more than five overs to spare. This win gave Afghanistan a 2-0 lead in the series and guaranteed their spot in a fourth consecutive World Cup. His figures of 4 for 34 in the middle overs brought Ireland back into the game. This included the important wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored 71.
Rashid had previously claimed six wickets in the second match of the series, showcasing his impressive form ahead of next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
