Risks for England in Not Securing 2027 World Cup Qualification Explained

England's ODI Struggles Threaten World Cup Qualification

England's poor form in the One Day International (ODI) format has put them at risk of missing out on automatic qualification for the 2027 Cricket World Cup. The team, currently ranked eighth in the world by the International Cricket Council (ICC), has lost more matches than any other side in the same timeframe.

Their win percentage of 0.3 is the worst among all teams who qualified for the last World Cup, apart from Bangladesh. Since the 2023 World Cup, England has won just seven of their 21 ODIs.

The 2027 World Cup is set to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, and will feature 14 teams. The qualification procedure involves automatic qualification for the host nations and top-ranked teams, while other teams compete in regional and global qualifiers organised by the ICC to secure remaining spots.

England's upcoming ODI assignments against top-ranked teams are not making things easier. The series against Sri Lanka might see England short of some frontline multi-format players due to the close timing with the Ashes. The team will face New Zealand in three ODIs away from home, followed by three matches in Sri Lanka.

If the qualification cut-off was made today (September 4, 2025), England would make it as the seventh qualifier out of eight. However, if both West Indies and Bangladesh overtake England, they'll struggle to meet the first round of qualification criteria.

West Indies will face Bangladesh in two separate series over the next 18 months, and they will face Afghanistan shortly before the cut-off point. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have two series against Ireland to come, as well as five ODIs against Zimbabwe.

The Qualifier for the 2027 World Cup will feature 10 teams in total, with the top four teams from CWC League Two and the top four teams from the Qualifier Play-Off making up the tournament. England's home 50-over summer next year will involve three matches against India, a tri-series in Pakistan, and a bilateral series against Australia.

Despite these challenges, if England slips out of the top eight sides, they will still likely qualify for the World Cup due to the tournament's expanded format. However, the team will need to significantly improve their ODI performance to secure a place among the top teams and avoid the qualifiers.