The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly finalised the dates of the ODI World Cup 2027 qualifier, as teams will battle it out to stake their claim for the 14-team global showpiece which will take place later in October 2027. Before the 50-over World Cup, a qualifier will take place, which will feature 10 teams vying for elusive World Cup spots.
As per a report in ESPNCricinfo, the World Cup qualifier will be played from February 22 to March 23 next year. While the dates have been finalised by the global body, the venue for the qualifier has not been confirmed as of yet.ย
10 teams will be playing the qualifier, of which the winner of the tournament will earn a direct entry into the main World Cup, which will take place across 12 venues in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The second, third and fourth-placed teams in the qualifier will then play a Super series, which is the first round of the World Cup.ย
Who will be the 10 qualifier teams?
The qualifier will feature 10 teams. Two of those will be the bottom two-ranked Full members in the ICC rankings. Four teams will come through CWC League 2, while the remaining four will be coming through a World Cup Qualifier Playoff. As for this Playoff, teams that were in the last four places in the CWC League 2 and four teams from the Challenge League will be playing this event.
Eyes on West Indies for direct qualification
Meanwhile, eyes will be glued on two-time former champions West Indies as they battle it out for a direct entry into the World Cup. The top eight ranked teams as of September 30, 2026, along with co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, will earn a direct spot in the World Cup. This will make the World Cup a 10-team one, and four teams will join later.
The West Indies are currently ranked 10th in the ICC rankings and have two more ODIs to play before September 30. They have a battle with Ireland, who are 12th, and the Irish side is playing a five-match ODI series against Afghanistan. If the Afghans win the series, the Windies would all but earn a direct entry. However, if Ireland win the series 4-1 or 5-0, the Windies would have to win the two matches.
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