Ireland’s hopes of qualifying directly for the 2027 ODI World Cup ended on Wednesday after the first match of its five-ODI series against Afghanistan was washed out without a toss at Bready.

Ranked 12th, Ireland needed a 5-0 whitewash and West Indies to lose both its matches against India before the September 30 cut-off. Those results could have carried Ireland above Zimbabwe, West Indies and Afghanistan into a direct qualification position. The washout closed that route.

ALSO READ | Jos Buttler becomes leading run scorer in men’s T20s

Ireland must now negotiate the 10-team World Cup Qualifier. The winner will advance directly to the tournament’s main 12-team stage, while the teams finishing second, third and fourth will enter the three-team Super Series, which forms the opening round of the World Cup. Only the Super Series winner will progress further.

The Qualifier will include two eligible bottom-ranked Full Members, four leading Cricket World Cup League 2 teams and four sides from the Qualifier Playoff.

Ireland also missed the 2023 World Cup after being eliminated during the Super Six phase of the Qualifier in Zimbabwe.

Published on Aug 05, 2026