Automatic World Cup qualification for West Indies doubtful

West Indies hopes for automatic qualification for next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup now depend on the performance of other teams, after the Caribbean side’s penalty for a slow over rate against New Zealand last Sunday.

West Indies were docked two Super League points for falling two overs short of completing their overs on the allotted time, in the match that ended their Cricket World Cup Super League campaign.

On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Leslie Reifer, third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire, Nigel Duguid level the charge after the host’s five-wicket defeat, and captain Nicholas Pooran pleaded guilty to the offence.

It means the West Indies drop to 88 points — a total that is unlikely to result in  top eight position at the end of the Super League  cycle.

The West Indies were in seventh place on 80 points before the start of the ODI series against New Zealand and after losing the series 2-1, the went up to 90 points before the penalty knocked them to 88 points with a net run rate of -0.738.