West Indies Risks World Cup Absence After Dropping to 10th in Rankings

NOTTINGHAM, England — The West Indies cricket team, once a powerhouse in the sport with two ICC World Cup titles, finds itself in jeopardy of missing the 2027 tournament due to a drop to 10th place in the latest ICC rankings. This position means they will not qualify automatically for the tournament.

The West Indies’ decline in the rankings follows Bangladesh‘s recent victory over Sri Lanka in an ODI series, which pushed Bangladesh to 9th place, causing the West Indies to slip into 10th. The Men in Maroon will now have to secure their spot through the World Cup Qualifiers.

The top eight teams in the ICC rankings are given automatic qualification for the World Cup, excluding the hosts, which in 2027 will be South Africa and Zimbabwe. This means the rankings extend to the top nine. The tournament will feature 14 teams, with the top eight qualifying based on their standings as of March 31, 2027. Four remaining teams will earn their spots through a 10-team qualifier tournament.

The West Indies’ last attempt at qualification ended poorly, as they failed to secure a spot for the 2023 ICC World Cup, losing out to Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. The Men in Maroon now face the challenge of improving their 50-over game in the months ahead to remain in contention for the upcoming tournament.

As it stands, the pressure is on the West Indies to regain their footing and avoid repeating their qualification woes. The cricketing world is watching closely to see if they can rise back in the rankings before the qualification cut-off date.