The Cricket World Cup is the premier cricket tournament that is played in the One Day International format. Also known as the 50-over world cup, the tournament is contested between 10 teams as per the latest format (2023). However, this article will explain the manner in which teams will qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
The 2027 World Cup will be played between 14 teams. However, 32 teams will be in the mix before qualifying for the final 14. All teams are divided into three groups based on their ICC ODI ranking and their ICC Member status. The first group features the Top 12 teams based on rankings. Since the 2027 World Cup will be played in both Zimbabwe and South Africa, both teams are qualified for the final stages by default. The eight other teams qualify by virtue of their ranking. The teams ranked 11th and 12th qualify for the World Cup qualifier.
Teams ranked 13 to 20 are grouped in League 2. These teams play each other in a round-robin format. The top four teams qualify for the qualifier whereas the bottom four teams advance to the qualifier play-off.
The final group is the Challenge League, which feature teams ranked between 21 and 28. It also features the top four teams of the Challenger play-off. Thus, the Challenge League houses twelve teams. Each of these teams plays the other in a round-robin format. The Top 2 teams of this league qualify for the qualifier play-off.
The qualifier play-off will thus have six teams – the bottom four of League 2 and the top two teams of the Challenge League. This play-off will also be played in a round-robin format. The top four teams advance to the qualifiers.
Eventually, the qualifiers are played between ten teams – the 11th and 12th ranked sides, the top four teams of League 2 and the top four teams of the qualifier play-off. The top four teams of the qualifier will find advance to the World Cup’s final stages.
The qualifier play-off also determines the promotion and relegation of the teams for the following cycle. The challenge league play-off’s eight teams. Four of these are the ones who finishes as the bottom four in the previous cycle’s Challenge League. The other four teams qualify based on the following requirements: must have eight domestic teams playing at least five matches of approximately 40 overs, and should be ranked in the Top 40 of the ICC T20 Championships as of 30 September 2023.
The teams that qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup will thus have to perform consistently between 2023 to 2026 to increase their chances in the final 14 that contest the tournament.
