Sri Lanka and West Indies need to play in qualifying round at ICC T 20 WC 2022 in Australia – by Sunil Thenabadu (Sports editor – eLanka)

The Eighth edition of the ICC T20 WC  2022will be held in Australia but surprisingly both West Indies and Sri Lanka will both have to play an supplementary qualifying round in order to be included  to  the super 12’s

Many will ponder when reaching the news that Sri Lanka and West Indies having won two and one match in the ongoing Super 12 ICC T20 tournament have to play in qualifying matches as in this edition to be in the Super 12’s.This is as in ICC world T 20 rankings both Sri Lanka and West Indies are having low ICC T 20 rankings. Bangladesh and Afghanistan however are assured of direct entry.

Cricket fanatics would contemplate why another ICC T20 WC is held so soon in year 2022 in Australia as this ICC T20 WC was scheduled to be held in October 2020 in Australia was postponed owing to the Covid 19 epidemic.

The qualifiers for the Super 12’s in 2022 would be determined after the ongoing ICC T20 WC .The winner and the runner up with Sis teams England ,Pakistan,India,New Zealand, South Africa and Australia have already performed well to ensure as their ICC T20 rankings are high to be automatic entrants to the Super12’s.The team Bangladesh benefited enormously with series T 20 wins in year 2021 over Australia and New Zealand in home series. They are currently in number eight position.While team Afghanistan occupies seventh position in ICC T20 rankings having had a good winning record in recent T 20’s.

The game cricket is a sport full of uncertainties as two times WC champions West Indies won only the solitary match against Bangladesh also were bowled out for a paltry 55 in their opening game against England.But Sri Lanka faired little better winning two games.

In the lead up to the ICC WC T20 edition eight Sri Lanka and West Indies will be joined with Scotland and Namibia who advanced to the Super 12’s in the ongoing ICC T20 contest. Hence Sri Lanka will not have it a easy entry for the Super 12’s in the forthcoming ICC T20 eighth edition to be staged in Australia.