The 2027 Cricket World Cup qualification [2] is the process by which teams will qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup. A series of competitions will determine which teams will take part in the final stages of the tournament.
In total, 36 teams will take part in the qualification process, from which 14 teams will qualify for the CWC. [3] South Africa and Zimbabwe will automatically qualify for the tournament as co-hosts along with the other eight top-ranked teams in the ICC men's ODI team rankings. [4]
Out of 36 teams, 4 teams will be eliminated after the 2024 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League Play-off. [5] The two teams ranked 11th and 12th will directly qualify for 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, whilst the other 20 sides will be divided into two leagues, the 2023–2027 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 (8 teams) and the 2023–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League (12 teams). Based on the results of the leagues, teams will either directly qualify for the World Cup Qualifier, be eliminated from World Cup qualification, or advance to the 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off through which they could qualify for the World Cup Qualifier. The Qualifier Play-off also determines promotion and relegation between the two leagues. Teams were allocated to the two leagues based on the results from the previous World Cup qualification cycle. [6]
In November 2021, the ICC announced that there would not be a second edition of the Super League. [7]
Means of qualification | Date | Venue | Teams | Qualified | Qualified for |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Host nation | — | — | 2 | 2027 Cricket World Cup | |
ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings | TBA | — | 8 | TBD | |
2 | TBD | 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier | |||
2020-2023 Super League | 30 July 2020 – 14 May 2023 | Various | 1 | Netherlands | 2024–2026 League 2 [8] |
2019-2023 League 2 | 14 August 2019 – 16 March 2023 | Various | 5 | ||
2023 Qualifier Play-off | 26 March – 5 April 2023 | Namibia | 2 | ||
2 | 2024–2026 Challenge League [9] (Top 4 teams from the Challenge Play-off also qualify) | ||||
2019-2022 Challenge League | 16 September 2019 – 13 December 2022 | Various | 6 | ||
4 | 2024 Challenge Play-off [5] | ||||
ICC T20I Championship | 30 September 2023 | — | 4 | ||
Total | 36 |
South Africa and Zimbabwe as full-member co-hosts have automatically qualified for the final stages of the tournament. [10]
Team | Method of qualification | Date of qualification | Venues | Total times qualified | Last time qualified | Previous best performance | Number of teams |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Africa | co-hosts | 16 November 2021 | – | 10 | 2023 | Semi-Finals (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2023) | 2 |
Zimbabwe | 2015 | Super 6s (1999, 2003) | |||||
TBD | ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings (Top 8 teams, excluding the hosts) | 31 March 2027 | Various | 8 | |||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier | TBD | TBD | 4 | |||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
TBD | |||||||
Total | 14 |
Tournament | Date | Venue | Eliminations | Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|
Challenge Play-off | 22 February – 3 March 2024 | Malaysia | 4 | |
Challenge League | 15th February 2024 – December 2027 | Various | 8 | TBD |
Qualifier Play-off | TBA | TBA | 4 | TBD |
Qualifier | TBA | TBA | 6 | TBD |
Total | 22 |
Outcome | Berths | Teams |
---|---|---|
Advanced to Challenge League | 4 | Bahrain Italy Kuwait Tanzania |
Eliminated from CWC Qualification | 4 | Bermuda Malaysia Vanuatu Saudi Arabia |
Total | 8 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kuwait | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0.292 | Advanced to the Super Six |
2 | Italy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0.574 | |
3 | Bermuda | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −1.108 | |
4 | Saudi Arabia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.298 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tanzania | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0.633 | Advanced to the Super Six |
2 | Bahrain | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0.713 | |
3 | Vanuatu | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −0.791 | |
4 | Malaysia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −0.742 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kuwait | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2.215 | Qualified for the 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League |
2 | Italy | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1.163 | |
3 | Bahrain | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0.481 | |
4 | Tanzania | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −0.356 | |
5 | Vanuatu | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | −1.999 | |
6 | Bermuda | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | −1.637 |
Outcome | Berths | Teams |
---|---|---|
Advanced to Qualifier Play-off | 4 | |
Eliminated from CWC Qualification | 8 | |
Total | 12 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
2 | Jersey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
3 | Kenya | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
4 | Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
5 | Papua New Guinea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
6 | Qatar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bahrain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
2 | Hong Kong | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
3 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
4 | Singapore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
5 | Tanzania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
6 | Uganda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Outcome | Berths | Teams |
---|---|---|
Advanced to Qualifier | 4 | |
Advanced to Qualifier Play-off | 4 | |
Total | 8 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification for |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Canada | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.498 | 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier |
2 | Namibia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0.259 | |
3 | Netherlands | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −0.158 | |
4 | Scotland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.381 | |
5 | Nepal | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | −0.118 | 2026 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off |
6 | Oman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
7 | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |
8 | United Arab Emirates | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | −1.072 |
Eight teams will take part in the qualifier play-off: the bottom four teams from the League 2 along with the top two teams each in Groups A and B of the Challenge League. The top four teams from this tournament progress to the Qualifier.
Means of qualification | Date | Venue | Berths | Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|
League 2 | 2023–2027 | Various | 4 | |
Challenge League | 2023–2026 | Various | 4 | |
Total | 8 |
Outcome | Berths | Teams |
---|---|---|
Advanced to Qualifier | 4 | |
Eliminated from CWC Qualification | 4 | |
Total | 8 |
The Qualifier will feature ten teams in total: the 11th and 12th ranked teams; the top four teams from the League 2, and the top four teams from the qualifier play-off. The top four teams from this tournament will qualify for the World Cup.
Means of qualification | Date | Venue | Berths | Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|
ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings | — | Various | 2 | |
League 2 | 2023–2027 | Various | 4 | |
Qualifier Play-off | 2026 | 4 | ||
Total | 10 |
Outcome | Berths | Teams |
---|---|---|
Advanced to CWC | 4 | |
Eliminated from CWC Qualification | 6 | |
Total | 10 |
International cricket matches are played between the teams representing their nations, organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The main forms are Test matches, One-Day matches and Twenty20 matches.
The Cricket World Cup Qualifier is a One-Day International (ODI) cricket tournament that serves as the culmination of the qualification process for the Cricket World Cup. It is usually played in the year before the World Cup. Although the tournament has used a variety of different formats, a final qualification event has been a feature of every World Cup since 1979.
The Oman men's national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Oman in international matches and is governed by Oman Cricket, which became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2000, and gained associate status in 2014. The national side has played matches at the Twenty20 International level. On 24 April 2019, Oman achieved One-Day International status for the first time until 2023, after they beat tournament hosts Namibia by four wickets in 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two.
The ICC World Cricket League (WCL) was a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status administered by the International Cricket Council. All Associate Members of the ICC were eligible to compete in the league system, which featured a promotion and relegation structure between divisions. The league system had two main aims: to provide a qualification system for the Cricket World Cup that could be accessed by all Associate Members and as an opportunity for these sides to play international one-day matches against teams of similar standards.
The Ireland women's cricket team represents Ireland in international women's cricket. Cricket in Ireland is governed by Cricket Ireland and organised on an All-Ireland basis, meaning the Irish women's team represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The Thailand women's national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Thailand in international women's cricket matches. Thailand is one of the strongest associate teams in women's international cricket and has been ranked as high as tenth in the ICC Women's T20I rankings.
The Namibia men's national cricket team, nicknamed the Eagles, is the men's team that represents the Republic of Namibia in international cricket. It is organised by Cricket Namibia, which became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1992.
The 2017–18 international cricket season was from September 2017 to April 2018. 28 Test matches, 93 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 44 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) were played during this period. Out of the 30 Test matches that were played four were day/night matches. The day/night Test match between South Africa and Zimbabwe was scheduled to last for only four days in duration, with the last such four-day Test match being played in 1973. The season started with India leading the Test cricket rankings, South Africa leading the ODI rankings, New Zealand leading the Twenty20 rankings, and England women leading the women's rankings. Additionally, the Laws of Cricket 2017 Code came into effect on 1 October 2017, superseding the 6th Edition of the 2000 Code of Laws, with many of the changes in the laws being incorporated into the ICC Standard Playing Conditions.
The 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier was the 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which took place in June and July 2023 in Zimbabwe. It was the culmination of the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualification process and decided the final two participants for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
The 2018–19 international cricket season was from September 2018 to April 2019. 34 Test matches, 92 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 74 Twenty20 International (T20Is), as well as 28 Women's One Day Internationals (WODIs) and 130 Women's Twenty20 Internationals (WT20Is), were played during this period. The season started with India leading the Test cricket rankings, England leading the ODI rankings and Pakistan leading the Twenty20 rankings. In October 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced separate rankings for women's ODIs and T20Is for the first time, with Australia women leading both tables.
The 2019–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 was the first edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, a cricket tournament which formed part of the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualification process. The tournament was played from August 2019 to March 2023, with all matches played as One Day Internationals (ODIs). Each set of fixtures was planned to take place as a tri-series.
The 2019–2022 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League was the inaugural edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League and a cricket tournament which formed part of the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualification process. The Challenge League replaced the World Cricket League (WCL) which was previously used as the pathway to the Cricket World Cup. The first fixtures took place in September 2019, with all matches having List A status.
The 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off was the inaugural edition of the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off, a cricket tournament which formed part of the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualification process. It took place in March and April 2023, with all matches having One Day International (ODI) status, regardless of whether or not a team had ODI status prior to the start of the event. As a result, Jersey played their first ever matches with ODI status.
The 2024 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League Play-off was a cricket tournament that took place in February and March 2024, to decide the final four places in the Cricket World Cup Challenge League for the next World Cup cycle. It featured the bottom four teams from the 2019–2022 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League along with an additional four sides who did not participate in the 2019–2022 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League and met the requirements. The eight teams were placed into two groups of four, with the top three teams from each group to advance to the Super Six stage. The best four sides emerging from the Challenge League Play-off competition qualified for the twelve-team World Cup Challenge League field for the next cycle.
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League was an international cricket competition contested in the One Day International (ODI) Cricket format and the top level of the three-league Cricket World Cup qualification system which was introduced in 2019. 13 teams participated in the league, of which the top 8 teams directly qualify for the next Cricket World Cup and the bottom 5 teams advance to the World Cup Qualifier for another chance to qualify. The Super League replaced the ODI rankings as the route to direct qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The only edition of the ODI Super League was between 2020–2023.
The 2023 Cricket World Cup qualification process was the edition of Cricket World Cup qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup and the introduction of a new qualification process. A series of cricket competitions determined which countries took part in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. In total, 32 countries took part in the qualification process, from which 10 teams qualified for the World Cup.
The 2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship is the third edition of the ICC Women's Championship, a One Day International (ODI) cricket competition that is being contested by ten teams, to determine qualification for the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup. The top five teams, along with the hosts India, will qualify directly for the World Cup. The bottom four teams of this tournament and the top two teams from the ICC ODI rankings will progress to a Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament. Each team will play a total of eight three-match series, with four of them played at home, and four played away.
The 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the 14th edition of the Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is scheduled to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October and November 2027. This will be the second time that South Africa and Zimbabwe will have co-hosted the tournament, after the 2003 edition, while Namibia will host it for the first time. The tournament will expand to 14 teams, and will have the same format that was used during the 2003 edition. Australia are the defending champions, having defeated India in the final of the previous edition.
The 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 is the second edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, a cricket tournament which forms part of the 2027 Cricket World Cup qualification process. As a result of the scrapping of Super League, this cycle of League 2 saw an increase from 7 to 8 teams. The rise in team count led to an increase in the total number of fixtures from 126 to 144. Scotland entered the competition as the defending champions.
The 2024–2026 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League is the second edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League and a cricket tournament which forms part of the 2027 Cricket World Cup qualification process.