Qualification pathway for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 announced

Just ahead of the commencement of the first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series of the cycle, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has annonced revamped qualification process for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, which is scheduled to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

ICC has announced alterations to the qualification pathway, ensuring a fair and inclusive process for teams vying for a spot in the 14-team tournament. Thirty four additional teams will fight for a place in the 14-team tournament, while host nations South Africa and Zimbabwe are automatically qualified.

Qualification details for CWC 2027

The scrapping of the CWC Super League has led to Netherlands' relegation back to being an Associate competition, changing the scenario of direct qualification. Now, only ICC Full Members stand eligible to secure direct qualification via the ODI ranking table. 

The top eight Full Members on the ODI table, alongside Zimbabwe and South Africa, will secure direct berths, while the two lowest-ranked Full Members will join top Associates in the CWC Qualifier. With the expansion of the World Cup from 10 to 14 teams, the Qualifier will offer four spots instead of two.

The inaugural CWC Challenge Playoff is set to commence in Kuala Lumpur next week, will present four emerging sides a chance to earn a place in the prestigious CWC Challenge League. The Playoff features a lineup of teams eight, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Tanzania, alongside previous Challenge League's four lowest participants, namely Italy, Malaysia, Vanuatu, and Bermuda.

Challenge League itself maintains its structure, with two parallel six-team competitions engaging in round-robin format. Notably, the top two teams from each group will progress to the CWC Qualifier Playoff 2026, which will expand from six to eight teams.

The qualification process is rooted in the CWC League 2, with consecutive six-match trilateral series to be played at home, away, and neutral venues. Following the relegation of the Netherlands and Namibia's, the league now consists of eight teams.

Also read: ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 begins with tri-series in Nepal