With Afghanistan beating Ireland by 92 runs on August 7 (Friday), the West Indies have missed out on a direct entry to the ODI World Cup for the second time in a row. West Indies play just a couple of ODIs – both against India. However, a win in both those matches will not be enough for the two-time champions to book their ticket directly into the World Cup. They now have to play a World Cup Qualifier and compete for a place at the mega event against nine other teams.
They needed a 4-0 or 5-0 whitewash from Ireland to have a chance. However, with Afghanistan claiming a win, that outcome is ruled out. Moreover, even Ireland will join West Indies at the Qualifier early next year.
In the 2023 Qualifier, West Indies lost to the Netherlands in a thrilling super over and missed their chance to feature in the World Cup in India.
Who else will join West Indies?
Along with West Indies and Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands and the USA are confirmed to participate in the Qualifier. Scotland beat Canada by nine runs in a thrilling match on Friday in Dundee to confirm their pace in the Qualifier. USA had already qualified, while the Dutch too have made it through thanks to Scotland’s victory.
The three teams currently occupy the top three spots in the ICC CWC League 2 points table with USA leading the way with 43 points. Scotland are second with 41, while Netherlands have accumulated 38. There’s room for one more team to make it to the Qualifiers from League 2. The competition for the final spot from League 2 will be between Oman, Namibia, Canada, Nepal and UAE.
The 10-team qualifiers will be played between February 22 and March 23, 2027. The venue is yet to be announced.
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