WEST INDIES SUFFER FRESH BLOW AS DIRECT QUALIFICATION TO ODI WORLD CUP 2027 SLIPS AWAY

• West Indies have missed automatic qualification to ODI World Cup 2027.

• The Caribbean side will now have to battle through the Qualifiers to reach the mega event.

West Indies have been dealt another major setback in their bid to reach the 2027 ODI World Cup, with the two-time champions now certain to enter the qualification tournament rather than secure a direct place through the ICC rankings. Afghanistan’s victory over Ireland in Belfast confirmed their position among the teams set to qualify automatically, leaving the Caribbean side outside the required top-eight bracket.

Under the qualification system, the eight highest-ranked teams in the ICC ODI rankings on September 30, 2026, excluding co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, will earn automatic entry into the 14-team World Cup. Afghanistan’s rise into that group has effectively ended West Indies’ hopes of breaking into the direct qualification places.

The West Indies are currently ranked 10th and have two ODIs against India remaining before the cut-off. However, even winning both matches will not be enough to lift them into the automatic qualification positions. That means the Caribbean side will once again have to take the longer route to the World Cup.

A painful reminder of what happened in 2023

For West Indies, another qualification campaign represents an uncomfortable return to a situation they would have desperately wanted to avoid. The Caribbean giants were forced to enter the qualification process for the 2023 ODI World Cup as well. Their campaign in Zimbabwe ended in disappointment after they finished fifth in the Super Six stage and failed to qualify for the tournament.

It was a historic low for one of cricket’s most successful teams. West Indies had appeared at every men’s ODI World Cup from the inaugural edition in 1975 until 2019, but their failure to qualify for the 2023 tournament brought that remarkable streak to an end. The consequences continued beyond the World Cup. Their ranking position also meant they missed the 2025 Champions Trophy, having last featured in the competition in 2013. With another World Cup qualification battle now confirmed, there will inevitably be concern about history repeating itself.

New qualification system offers another route

The 2027 qualification tournament will feature 10 teams and provide West Indies with another opportunity to reach the global showpiece. The field is set to include West Indies and Ireland as the two lowest-ranked non-host Full Members, along with the top four teams from Cricket World Cup League 2 and the four sides emerging from the Qualifier Playoff.

The playoff itself brings together teams from different levels of the qualification pyramid, including the bottom four League 2 sides and four teams from the Challenge League. The revised system also gives teams more than one opportunity to progress. The winner of the 10-team Qualifier will earn a direct place in the second round of the 2027 World Cup. Teams finishing second, third and fourth will enter a three-team Super Series, with the winner also advancing.

The ICC approved the revamped World Cup structure in July, with the 14-team tournament designed to provide more competitive matches while keeping the overall event shorter. While the new pathway keeps West Indies’ World Cup dream alive, it also highlights the seriousness of their current position. A team once synonymous with dominance on the global stage now faces another high-pressure qualification campaign.

For Shai Hope and his teammates, the immediate task is clear: finish the remaining fixtures strongly, regroup and make sure the next qualification journey does not end in another historic disappointment.

- Akshat Gaur

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SPORTS MINISTER URGES SOUTH AFRICA TO BOYCOTT AFGHANISTAN MATCH

Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Monday, June 10, 2013.
  -  
Copyright © africanews
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

South Africa's sports minister has joined public calls for the Proteas to boycott the Champions Trophy game against Afghanistan next month and criticised the International Cricket Council for not upholding its own rules.

Gayton McKenzie said on Thursday he felt “morally bound to support” a match boycott because the Taliban government has banned women's sports and disbanded the national women's cricket team.

"It is not for me as the sports minister to make the final decision on whether South Africa should honour cricketing fixtures against Afghanistan. If it was my decision, then it certainly would not happen,” McKenzie said in a statement.

“As a man who comes from a race that was not allowed equal access to sporting opportunities during apartheid, it would be hypocritical and immoral to look the other way today when the same is being done towards women anywhere in the world."

The Proteas are scheduled to play Afghanistan on Feb. 21 in a group match in Karachi, Pakistan.

England was also urged to forfeit its match against Afghanistan on Feb. 26 by more than 160 U.K. politicians on Monday.

McKenzie believed the ICC was also being hypocritical for not upholding its own mandates that member nations develop men's and women's cricket.

McKenzie noted Sri Lanka Cricket was suspended by the ICC from November 2023 to January 2024 for government interference.

“This does not happen in the case of Afghanistan, suggesting that political interference in the administration of sport is being tolerated there,” McKenzie said.

"Cricket South Africa, the federations of other countries and the ICC will have to think carefully about the message the sport of cricket wishes to send the world, and especially the women in sports.

“I hope that the consciences of all those involved in cricket, including the supporters, players and administrators, will take a firm stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan.”

- Rédaction Africanews with AP

CSA AND ACB ANNOUNCE HISTORIC ODI

CSA and ACB announce historic ODI series
©REUTERS

Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) are pleased to announce a historic three-match One-Day International (ODI) series between the Proteas Men and Afghanistan from 18 - 22 September in the United Arab Emirates.

The ODI series is the first-ever bilateral series between the two sides with all three matches set to be hosted by ACB at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

South Africa has faced Afghanistan on two occasions in 50-over cricket during the last two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups in 2019 and 2023.

This series will mark their first encounter since South Africa defeated Afghanistan in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Trinidad and Tobago last month.

CSA Chairman Lawson Naidoo commented: “We are excited to embark on this historic ODI series with Afghanistan, who have become a very competitive all-round team as evidenced by their recent performances in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and most recently at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This is a significant milestone in our cricketing relations, and we look forward to a competitive and entertaining series”

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf added: “These fixtures were not initially part of our FTP. Still, based on our productive negotiations with our counterparts at Cricket South Africa, we concluded that we will host the Proteas for an ODI series in September. They are an excellent team, and we are eagerly looking forward to hosting them and playing them regularly in the future.”

Fixtures

Wednesday, 18 September

Afghanistan vs South Africa - Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

Friday, 20 September

Afghanistan vs South Africa - Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

Sunday, 22 September

Afghanistan vs South Africa - Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

-  Cricket World & Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) & Cricket South Africa Wednesday 31 July 2024

AFGAN PLAYER ACCUSED OF FAKING INJURY

 Gulbadin Naib was accused of faking injury to waste time before taking a wicket that helped secure Afghanistan’s first World Cup semi-final, eliminating Australia and sparking scenes of joy in Kabul.

Afghanistan needed to beat Bangladesh to take their place in the World Cup semi-final at Australia’s expense − and they won a rain-affected classic in St Vincent to set up a last-four clash with South Africa.

Afghanistan’s eight-run win (using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method) was not without controversy.

Bangladesh had stumbled to 81 for seven in the 12th over in response to Afghanistan’s 115. With rain starting to fall, Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott, the former England batsman, was seen on the boundary telling his players to slow the game down in the hope the umpires would take the players from the field. Afghanistan, at that point, were ahead on DLS.

Veteran Gulbadin, fielding at slip to the spinner, took Trott’s instruction very literally and suddenly fell to the ground clutching his leg, appearing to feign a hamstring injury.

Moments later, the players were being taken from the field, with Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan appearing unhappy with his player’s behaviour and Bangladesh batsman Litton Das mocking Gulbadin.

A short rain delay followed, with the players returning having lost one over and Bangladesh’s target adjusted to 114.

Rashid bowled his last over (finishing with brilliant figures of four for 23) and soon turned to Gulbadin, who had bowled superbly in the win over Australia on Sunday. With his second ball, he picked up the eighth wicket of Tanzim Hasan Sakib before Naveen-ul-Haq took the final two wickets amid scenes of high drama.

The win is a seismic moment for Afghanistan cricket, whose men’s team have emerged as a real force in the game over the last decade (the ruling Taliban, meanwhile, have banned their women’s team from playing). They are now one win away from a World Cup final.

For Australia, it is a brutal blow, though. They made a flying start to the tournament and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood even wondered aloud whether they could engineer England’s elimination by deliberately underperforming against Scotland. But after Super 8 staged defeats to Afghanistan and India, Australia are heading home, with England through to the semi-finals. They will face India on Thursday in Guyana.

- Nick Mulvenney

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INDIA BACK LYER AT FOUR DESPITE CHENNAI DUCK

Reuters 

Shreyas Iyer's number four slot is not under threat from in-form team mate KL Rahul, batting coach Vikram Rathour said on the eve of their World Cup match against Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Iyer returned from a back injury recently to reclaim his number four position and scored a three-ball duck in Sunday's opener against Australia.

Chasing 200 for victory, India were in trouble after both openers -- Ishan Kishan and skipper Rohit Sharma -- had fallen before they could open their account.

Former India stalwart Yuvraj Singh was aghast at Iyer's casual drive that David Warner pouched at short cover.

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