Following their 2-1 victory in the One Day International series against Pakistan, Bangladesh has received significant good news. In the latest update to the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings, the team led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz has climbed one spot, surpassing West Indies to reach ninth place.
This improvement further strengthens Bangladesh’s position in the race for direct qualification in the 2027 One Day World Cup. The teams that will directly participate in the World Cup will be determined based on the rankings published on March 31 of next year. Apart from hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, the top eight teams will directly play in the World Cup.
Currently, South Africa is in fifth place and Zimbabwe is in eleventh. Given this, if Bangladesh can maintain its ninth position, its chances of directly qualifying for the World Cup will remain strong.
Previously, even after winning the series against West Indies, Bangladesh was in tenth place with 76 rating points, while the Caribbean team was one step ahead with 77 points. However, by winning the series against a strong team like Pakistan, Bangladesh’s rating has increased to 79, consequently moving them up to ninth place.
On the other hand, while Pakistan’s position remains unchanged, their rating points have decreased to 102.
Bangladesh is still nine points behind England, who are in eighth place. While improving their position immediately might be challenging, there are opportunities ahead to increase their rating.
Next month, New Zealand will visit Bangladesh to play three One Day Internationals and three T20 matches. A good performance against the team ranked second in the world could add more points to Bangladesh’s tally.
The ODI matches will take place on April 17, 20, and 23. It is understood that New Zealand will be without some of their top players for this series due to commitments in other competitions. This presents a significant opportunity for Bangladesh to further solidify its position in the rankings.