SL’s World Cup entry depends on WI: Here’s why

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka’s 168-run loss to India in the fourth ODI in Colombo on Thursday has further deepened their crisis. Not only do they face a potential 5-0 series whitewash, the chance of automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup has also gone out of their hands. They will now have to depend on the outcome of the West Indies series against Ireland and England in late September if they have to qualify automatically for the ICC event in England.

Sri Lanka and West Indies are currently eighth and ninth in the ICC ODI rankings. The qualification rules for the 2019 World Cup state that the top seven ODI sides, apart from hosts England qualify directly as on September 30. The bottom four sides will need to play a qualifying event, the ICC World Cricket League Championship with top two sides from the ICC World Cricket League. The top two teams from this event will get to play in the 2019 World Cup.

SORRY SITUATION

Sri Lanka are 1996 World Cup champions and have entered the final of the event twice in 2007 and 2011. However, in the last couple of seasons, Sri Lanka cricket has witnessed a decline.

In ODIs from 2016, Sri Lanka have been woeful. They were whitewashed 5-0 by South Africa and hammered 1-4 by Australia at home. In the 2017 Champions Trophy, they failed to reach the knock-outs and their lowest point came when they lost an ODI series for the first time to Zimbabwe 2-3.

For the West Indies, their situation is grave. They were hammered 3-0 by Pakistan and they failed to enter the tri-series final featuring Sri Lanka and hosts Zimbabwe. They were again beaten 3-1 by Pakistan but shockingly, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Afghanistan. West Indies, who are one of the four teams to have won all ICC tournaments, including World Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1979, reached their lowest point when they failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.