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

HOPE, SEALES HELP WINDIES END 34-YEAR DROUGHT AGAINST PAKISTAN

Courtesy of @wiplayers
Man of the Match Shai Hope celebrates his century against Pakistan during the third and final One-Day International in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday. Hope scored an unbeaten 120

A SENSATIONAL, unbeaten century from skipper Shai Hope, followed by a devastating spell of fast bowling by Jayden Seales piloted the West Indies to a historic 202-run victory over Pakistan at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Their heroics ended a 34-year-long wait for a bilateral One-Day International (ODI) series win over Pakistan, having last defeated them in 1991, and was also their largest ever win over the visitors.

It also gave the West Indies their first ODI series win for 2025, following defeats to England and Pakistan and a drawn series against Ireland.

Player-of-the-Match Hope produced a master class of an innings in scoring 120 not out and was the main reason the home side posted a formidable 294 for six in their 50 overs after they were sent in to bat.

Seales, who was named Player of the Series after finishing with 10 wickets, then wrecked Pakistan’s top order on his way to the joint second-best figures (6-18) by a West Indies man in ODI cricket, to bundle them out for just 92 in 29.2 overs.

The West Indies were stifled by a slow start, and by the end of the 14th over, had progressed to 57 for the loss of openers Brandon King and Evin Lewis for five and 37, respectively.

Abrar Ahmed looked out of sorts for the second straight match before Abrar Ahmed dismissed him yet again for 17 from 45 balls, and when Sherfane Rutherford lost his wicket to Saim Ayub for a laboured 15 from 40 balls, West Indies fell to 113 for four in the 31st over, a run rate of less than four runs an over.

Courtesy of @wiplayers
West Indies Player of the Series Jayden Seales (second right) celebrates with teammates after taking a Pakistan wicket during yesterday’s third and final One-Day International at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago. Seales bagged six for 18.

Hope found a useful ally in Roston Chase, and the pair added 64 runs in 10 overs to get the West Indies going.

During that period, Hope reached his half-century off 54 balls with a paddle sweep off spinner Mohammad Nawaz that brought him three runs.

Chase hit two huge sixes and three fours in his knock before he was undone by an excellent yorker from pacer Naseem Shah to leave the Windies 177 for five in the 41st over.

Gudakesh Motie only lasted seven balls before he was caught and bowled by Mohammad Nawaz, and the home side were in real trouble of being bowled out inside their allotted overs.

However, a 110-run partnership between Hope and Justin Greaves completely turned the innings around and left Pakistan’s bowlers shell shocked.

Hope began the carnage by blasting Mohammad Nawaz for consecutive sixes in the 44th over that yielded 15 runs and followed up by clobbering Ahmed for two sixes and a four in the ensuing over that went for 18, to move into the 90s.

He then brought up his 18th ODI century off 83 balls with a blazing cover drive off Shah that sped away to the boundary.

Greaves then got into the act, hoisting Hasan Ali for a six and a four in the 18th over that also cost 18.

Hope saved his best for the penultimate over, blasting Shah for a six and three fours, and he deservingly ended the innings by hitting Ali over point for another boundary.

In all, he faced 94 balls and struck 10 fours and five sixes while Greaves ended unbeaten on 43 from 24 balls with four fours and two sixes as the West Indies gathered 100 from the last seven overs.

Pakistan’s run chase suffered an early setback when Seales had Ayub caught behind with the third ball of the innings without a run on the board.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when the fast bowler had Abdullah Shafique caught at mid-on by Motie, also for a duck, and then bowled captain Mohammad Rizwan first ball with an inswinger that he left alone, to leave Pakistan in tatters at eight for three.

The match was essentially over when Seales trapped Babar Azam lbw for nine as Pakistan fell to 23 for four.

Hasan Nawaz and Salman Agha tried their best in a 38-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but once Motie had the former stumped as he tried to hit him out of the ground, the end came swiftly.

Hussain Talat was bowled by a quicker delivery from Chase, and Motie snapped up a sharp caught-and-bowled opportunity to dismiss Agha for the topscore of 30 to make the score 70 for seven.

Seales then returned to dismiss Shah and Ali cheaply, and Chase ran out Abrar Ahmed to finish the match and spark wild celebrations among the West Indies players and fans.