Bangladesh have earned a direct berth in the ODI World Cup 2023 with two series in hand following Sri Lanka’s defeat to Afghanistan on Friday.
Along with the Tigers and hosts India, six teams have now qualified for the 50-over showpiece event and two slots for direct qualification are still up in the air, reports bdnews24.com.
As many as 13 teams are playing eight three-match series as part of the ICC Super League for a spot in the quadrennial event. England, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan are the four other teams through to the tournament.
Tamim Iqbal’s men have 120 points after 12 wins from 18 matches in six series. They will face England in March and Ireland in May next year as their last two opponents before the World Cup.
Bangladesh won all six games against the West Indies and Zimbabwe and lost a match against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and South Africa each. The Tigers failed to register any win against New Zealand.
India top the table with 129 points from 19 matches, followed by England with 125 points from a match fewer. The following teams -- Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Pakistan -- are all tied up on 120 points, positioned according to higher net run rate.
Afghanistan, in seventh, have the best prospect of advancing after that with 110 points from 13 games. They can earn a spot in the tournament by securing another win.
The Caribbean side, however, have been able to accumulate only 88 points from 24 matches and the two-time champions’ direct qualification is under huge threat.
Both Sri Lanka (62 points/19 games) and South Africa (59 points/16 games) have their eyes set on the remaining spot for the top eight teams, but simply winning their remaining matches may not be enough for that.
The five remaining teams will face off in the World Cup Qualifiers and two will make their way into the tournament. Zimbabwe (45 points/21 games) and the Netherlands (25 points/19 games) will be joined by three other teams in this phase.
The 13th edition of the showcase event will be held in October-November next year. The itinerary of the tournament is yet to be finalised.