# Afghanistan seal 2027 World Cup spot, West Indies face qualifiers 2026-08-13T08:07:09+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Afghanistan have secured automatic qualification for the 2027 Cricket World Cup by beating Ireland in Belfast on Monday. The win ensured they finish among the top eight of the ODI rankings by September 30, excluding co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe. The teams already through are Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Co-hosts South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia also feature in the 14-team tournament. The West Indies, ranked 10th, cannot make up enough ground even with two ODIs left against India. They will now enter the qualifiers for the third successive 50-over World Cup, having missed the 2023 edition altogether after losing to the Netherlands. The new 2027 format has drawn criticism from associate members Scotland and the Netherlands, who called it a setback. ## Coverage - rediff.com Tags: 2027 Cricket World Cup, Afghanistan cricket, Associate members, ICC, qualifiers, West Indies cricket Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/afghanistan-seal-2027-world-cup-spot-west-indies-face-qualifiers/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/afghanistan-seal-2027-world-cup-spot-west-indies-face-qualifiers/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.