England’s 3-0 ODI hammering to New Zealand took their total losses in the format over the last 12 months to 13, with only five wins in the same period. Now eighth in the ICC team rankings and with time running out to better their position, they’re at risk of failing to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
After their disastrous Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, England started their re-boot under Harry Brook with a 3-0 series win over West Indies. However, they’ve lost five out of six since then, with their only win coming in the final ODI of the summer against South Africa. In New Zealand, they were bowled out in all three games to continue concerns about their batting approach.
While the Ashes will now take centre stage, England have a huge year ahead in the 50-over format, which will decide their path to the 2027 World Cup.
What is the qualification process for the 2027 World Cup?
Automatic qualification for the tournament is based on ICC rankings. South Africa and Zimbabwe will qualify for the tournament as hosts, with the next eight teams in the rankings joining them without having to go through the qualifier tournament.
England are currently eighth in the rankings, and are seven ratings points off seventh-placed Afghanistan. Currently, they will automatically qualify – as will ninth-placed West Indies as South Africa are sixth in the rankings. Tenth-placed Bangladesh are currently the first team who will miss out on qualification. The cut off for securing rankings qualification is March 31, 2027.
ICC Men's ODI team rankings
| Position | Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
| 1 | India | 39 | 4,745 | 122 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 41 | 4,571 | 111 |
| 3 | Australia | 38 | 4,134 | 109 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 41 | 4,235 | 103 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 36 | 3,642 | 101 |
| 6 | South Africa | 36 | 3,507 | 97 |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 28 | 2,657 | 95 |
| 8 | England | 40 | 3,432 | 86 |
| 9 | West Indies | 38 | 2,988 | 79 |
| 10 | Bangladesh | 38 | 2,882 | 76 |
*updated November 4, 2025
Who could overtake England in the qualification race?
While they are currently safe, England will need to be wary of West Indies and Bangladesh coming up behind them. If both overtake England’s rating, they will be pushed out of the automatic qualification spots.
West Indies and Bangladesh recently concluded a three-match ODI series against each other, with Bangladesh claiming a 2-1 win. West Indies have five further ODI series to play before the qualification cut-off point in March 2027, two against New Zealand, and one each against Sri Lanka, India and Afghanistan.
Bangladesh could also mount a challenge given the relatively straightforward ODI opponents they have over the next 16 months. They will begin an ODI series against Ireland this week, before playing Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia in three match series, followed by five games against Zimbabwe, and finishing with a three-match series against South Africa.
England, however, have the toughest year of 50-over cricket out of the three vying for the final two qualification places. After playing three ODIs against Sri Lanka ahead of the T20 World Cup in February, they will begin their home white-ball summer against India before Sri Lanka make the return trip. They will then play an away tri-series in Pakistan during the winter, before concluding the qualification period with three matches against Australia and three against South Africa. In short, each of England’s ODI opponents before the cut-off point is currently in the top six of the ICC rankings.
Upcoming ODI calendar: England, West Indies, Bangladesh
England
January 2026: Three ODIs vs Sri Lanka (away)
July 2026: Three ODIs vs India (home)
September 2026: Three ODIs vs Sri Lanka (home)
October 2026: Tri-series vs Pakistan & Sri Lanka (away)
November 2026: Three ODIs vs Australia (away)
December 2026: Three ODIs vs South Africa (away)
West Indies
November 2025: Three ODIs vs New Zealand (away)
June 2026: Three ODIs vs Sri Lanka (home)
July 2026: Three ODIs vs New Zealand (home)
September 2026: Three ODIs vs India (away)
February 2027: Three ODIs vs Afghanistan (home)
Bangladesh
November 2025: Three ODIs vs Ireland (home)
April 2026: Three ODIs vs Pakistan (home)
April 2026: Three ODIs vs New Zealand (home)
June 2026: Three ODIs vs Australia (home)
July 2026: Five ODIs vs Zimbabwe (away)
August 2026: Three ODIs vs Ireland (away)
November 2026: Three ODIs vs South Africa (away)
How big is the risk that England won’t secure automatic qualification?
England don’t have an easy upcoming run in the format. All of the ODIs they will play before the cut-off point are against teams currently in the top six of the rankings, and 14 out of the 20 matches will be played away from home. Their record away from home since the 2023 World Cup is appalling – they’ve won just two of their 15 ODIs outside of England in that time period.
By contrast, West Indies and Bangladesh will play the majority of their upcoming ODI series at home. Since the 2023 World Cup, Bangladesh have lost just one ODI at home, while West Indies have won nine out of 12.
All of this sounds pretty bleak for England, however there are some reasons for optimism. Firstly, any wins England do pull off against higher ranked teams will benefit their rating more than if West Indies or Bangladesh were to win against lower-ranked teams. Thus, England could theoretically need to rack up fewer wins than their competitors.
Secondly, even if England do miss out on automatic qualification, there is little danger of them not qualifying altogether for the tournament. The World Cup will be expanded to include 14 teams from 2027, with four teams set to advance from the Qualifier. If England do have to go through the qualifier, it’s highly unlikely that they wouldn’t be one of those four teams. Having to go through the competition in the first place, however, would mark a dramatic fall from grace for the 2019 Champions.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
