Windies relegated to World Cup Qualifiers

**West Indies Must Re‑enter 2027 World Cup via Qualifiers**

*St. John’s, Antigua* – The West Indies national cricket team will have to compete in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers next year to secure a place in the 2027 tournament.

Afghanistan secured the final automatic qualification spot by defeating Ireland by three wickets in the third one‑day international (ODI) of the five‑match series on Monday, taking a 2‑0 lead. The West Indies had a mathematical chance of automatic qualification only if Ireland won the series 4‑1 or 5‑0. With Ireland’s loss, that possibility vanished.

The West Indies, ranked 10th in the ICC ODI rankings, still have two ODIs against India before the qualification cut‑off. Even a win in both matches would not be sufficient to move them back into contention for direct entry.

This marks the third consecutive year that the “Men in Maroon” will need to go through the Qualifiers to reach the World Cup. In 2023, the West Indies failed to qualify directly and finished fifth in the Super Six stage of the Qualifiers, missing out on the tournament for the first time in their history. Their absence from the 2023 World Cup also meant they could not participate in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, a competition they had not played since 2013.

The ICC has not yet announced a venue for the 2027 World Cup Qualifiers, which are scheduled to take place in February next year. The winner of the Qualifiers will earn direct entry to the second round of the 2027 World Cup. Teams finishing second, third, and fourth will compete in a first‑round Super Series; the top team from that tri‑series will advance to the second round.

Article and image source: jamaica-star.com