England's automatic 2027 World Cup qualification at risk: Here's why
What's the story
The England cricket team is in danger of missing out on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. The 2019 champions have won only seven of their last 21 ODIs since the 2023 World Cup. This includes a disappointing group-stage exit from this year's Champions Trophy and a series defeat against India. On Thursday, they lost the second ODI against South Africa at Lord's, handing the latter an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Current standing
England's precarious position in ODI rankings
Despite a win against West Indies in their first series under Harry Brook's full-time captaincy, England now sits eighth in the ICC ODI rankings. They are four points behind Afghanistan and 37 points behind table-toppers India. If this trend continues, they could miss out on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
Tournament structure
Format and structure of the 2027 World Cup
The 2027 World Cup will have 14 teams, an increase from the last two editions' 10. The teams will be divided into two groups of seven, with the top three from each group advancing to a Super Six stage. South Africa and Zimbabwe will host the tournament, with automatic qualification for the first two nations. Non-full member nation Namibia has to go through standard qualification procedures.
Future fixtures
Tough road ahead for England
England has 18 months to improve their ODI record and widen the gap between their rank and the qualification cut-off point. However, they have tough assignments ahead. Before the Ashes, they will play three away ODIs against second-ranked New Zealand and then travel to Sri Lanka for another three matches. These series could see England missing some of their key multi-format players due to scheduling conflicts with the Ashes.
Domestic season
Challenging series on the horizon for England
Next year's home 50-over summer will see England take on a strong India side in three matches. They also have a tri-series in Pakistan and a bilateral series against Australia during the winter. All these ODIs are against teams ranked in the top six of the ODI rankings, making it even more challenging for England to improve their standing before the qualification cut-off point.