ICC World Cup Qualifier set to be held in early 2027

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The Qualifiers for the 2027 ODI World Cup is set to be played from February 22 to March 23 next year according to a report from Cricinfo.

However, a venue for the tournament has yet to be decided by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The West Indies, who are currently ranked 10th in the One Day International (ODI) rankings, are almost sure to have to go through the Qualifiers to gain entry to the World Cup, which is slated to be held across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21.

The Windies will only play two more ODIs before the cut-off date, against India in September. Those matches and the results of other series, specifically the imminent one between Afghanistan (ranked eighth) and Ireland (12th), could affect their ranking.

If Ireland beat Afghanistan to win that series 4-1 or 5-0, then two wins for West Indies could be enough to see them into the top eight. If Afghanistan win the series, West Indies are all but certain to have to qualify.

In the revamped structure for the 2027 World Cup, which was announced by the ICC in July, the winner of the 10-team Qualifier will gain direct entry to the main group of the 14-team marquee tournament.

However, the teams finishing second, third and fourth in the Qualifier will contest the first round of the World Cup, called the Super Series, with the top team qualifying for the main, 12-team stage.

The 10-team Qualifier includes the two bottom-ranked Full Members in the ODI rankings (other than hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe) as of September 30, 2026; the top four teams from CWC League 2; and the top four teams from a World Cup Qualifier Playoff.

CMC