KARACHI: Ten teams have secured direct qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which will feature a 14-team field for the first time.
Hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe have already secured their places in the tournament by virtue of hosting the event. The remaining eight direct qualification spots will go to the teams occupying the top eight positions in the ICC ODI rankings as of September 30.
Afghanistan strengthened its position in the top eight after securing a thrilling victory over Ireland in Belfast, effectively putting its World Cup qualification beyond doubt.
The teams set to qualify directly, alongside hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, are defending champions Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Two-time former world champions West Indies, currently ranked 10th, will miss out on direct qualification. The Caribbean side still has two ODIs against India before the September 30 cut-off, but even winning both matches would not be enough to return to the top eight.
West Indies will therefore have to compete in the World Cup Qualifier scheduled for February 2027 to secure a place in the tournament.
The qualification pathway for Associate teams will involve several stages. In the Challenge League, 12 teams will be divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Qualifier Play-Off.
Meanwhile, the top four teams from the eight-team Cricket World Cup League 2 will earn places in the World Cup Qualifier.
The 10-team World Cup Qualifier will be played from February 22 to March 23, 2027, with the top four teams earning the final four places in the 14-team World Cup.
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