England slip below Afghanistan in latest ICC ODI team rankings as they risk direct qualification for ICC Cricket World Cup 2027

England currently occupy eighth spot in the latest ICC ODI team rankings.

England have dropped to the eighth spot in the latest ODI team rankings by International Cricket Council (ICC). England currently are placed below Afghanistan in ICC’s annual team rankings update with 84 rating points. With this, they’re at a risk of direct qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.

The next ODI World Cup will be played in 2027. South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will host the tournament. A total of 14 teams will participate in the ICC event. Out of these, South Africa and Zimbabwe have already earned direct qualification being the co-hosts. However, Namibia has not earned a direct entry as it’s only limited to ICC full-time members.

Notably, the top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings will directly qualify for ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. These eight teams will be finalized on the cut-off date on March 31, 2027. Now, since England have dropped to the eighth spot in the latest rankings, they are in danger of losing a direct qualification to the ICC tournament for the first time in history.

England will clash with West Indies in an ODI series

Following England are the West Indies, who are slotted at ninth position with 83 rating points, one less than England. Both sides will clash in an ODI series starting May 29. The three-match ODI series will take place in the United Kingdom. If the hosts lose the series, West Indies will leapfrog them in the ODI rankings.

During the last ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023, West Indies failed to qualify directly for the tournament. Later, they also failed to clear the qualifiers round and did not participate in the tournament for the first time in history.

If England observes a similar fate like the West Indies in the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, they will have to play the qualifiers to grab a spot in the tournament. England showed a dismal form in the previous ODI World Cup edition in 2023, winning just three games out of nine. They also faced shocking defeats to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka during the tournament.

Harry Brook has been nominated as the new skipper of England in ODIs and T20Is; replacing Jos Buttler. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) took the decision after Buttler stepped down from the role after the team’s poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year. The Englishmen failed to win a single game in the group stage of the tournament.

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