Fresh off their maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 win, New Zealand faces a precarious situation as they strive to secure an automatic qualification spot for the mega 2025 tournament. Although the schedule is not out yet, India will host the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup next year. This means India are already qualified for the mega event based on being hosts.
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With just six matches remaining in the 2022–2025 ICC Women’s Championship, New Zealand currently sits in sixth place, the last automatic qualifying spot. A series loss to India, starting tomorrow (October 24), could significantly jeopardize their chances. The West Indies, just four points behind, are also in contention and could potentially overtake New Zealand. The Caribbean unit needs just two more wins than the Kiwis to automatically qualify for the World Cup.
The qualification pathway is straightforward: the top six teams in the Women’s Championship automatically qualify. With England, Australia, and South Africa already securing their spots, New Zealand currently sits in sixth place, just one point ahead of Pakistan. However, their recent performances have been concerning, with losses to Sri Lanka, South Africa, and consecutive 3-0 sweeps against England and West Indies.
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The stakes are high for New Zealand. Failing to qualify directly would mean participating in the qualifier tournament, which is enough to cause trouble to any team. The upcoming series against India (3 ODIs) and Australia (3 ODIs) will be crucial for New Zealand’s hopes. They must perform exceptionally well to avoid being overtaken by the West Indies, who will play three ODIs against England in June next year.
| Pos | Team | Mts | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia (Q) | 18 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 2.002 | Advance to the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup |
| 2 | England (Q) | 21 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 1.506 | |
| 3 | South Africa (Q) | 21 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 0.350 | |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 24 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 22 | −0.107 | |
| 5 | India (Q) | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1.062 | |
| 6 | New Zealand | 18 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0.392 | |
| 7 | Pakistan (A) | 24 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 17 | −0.613 | Advance to the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier |
| 8 | West Indies | 18 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 14 | −1.121 | |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 18 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 13 | −1.178 | |
| 10 | Ireland | 18 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 8 | −2.001 |
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