Afghanistan earn direct qualification for 2020 T20 World Cup

Afghanistan celebrate winning the inaugural World Cup Qualifiers in February last year.

Afghanistan have secured a direct place in the main group stage of the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia by finishing in 8th spot at the end of the 2018 cut off period, a mere 18 months after their promotion to full ICC membership status.

Afghanistan's soaring progression up the T20I rankings corresponds with another's fallings, with Sri Lanka now slipping to 9th spot and will have to complete the opening round of the tournament to reach the "Super 12s", where teams will then be split into two seperate pools of 6.

Having played in three of the four World T20 finals to date, all expected Sri Lanka to finish inside the top-eight, instead they will have to dominate their early group matches to reach the next stage. "It is a bit disappointing that we have not been able to ensure a direct Super 12s berth but I'm confident that we will do well in the tournament," Sri Lanka T20I captain, Lasith Malinga, told the ICC. In comparison, 2020 will make the first time that Afghanistan will not have to go through the qualifying round to reach the main phase, after a perfect 7-0 record in T20I's in 2018, including a 3-0 series win over 10th placed Bangladesh, leaving another established full member nation a less direct path into the Super 12s phase of the tournament.

Zimbabwe are another side that will have to go into the T20 Global Qualifier for the first time just to earn a spot in the opening round of the T20 World Cup. Alongside Ireland, it will also mark the first time that Full Members are a part of the qualifying tournament.

It follows a new approach from the ICC in which Full Members are no longer guaranteed a spot in World Cups by virtue of membership status. The 2018 ODI World Cup Qualifier also featured Full Members for the first time as West Indies, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe had to compete against six Associates in order to secure a spot in England. West Indies and Afghanistan clinched the only two berths available, meaning Ireland and Zimbabwe will become the first two Full Members to not take part in a World Cup in 2019 much to public disappointment.

In addition to Ireland and Zimbabwe, four Associates have been fast-tracked into the T20 Global Qualifier by virtue of their participation in the opening round of the 2016 T20 World Cup: Scotland, Netherlands, Hong Kong and Oman. They will be joined by eight other Associates who will advance from five regional qualification finals (Africa, Americas, Asia, East Asia-Pacific, Europe) to take place in the first half of 2019.

The 14-team T20 Global Qualifier is expected to take place in October or November this year at a venue yet to be determined. The top six teams at that tournament will join Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the opening round in Australia. The 2020 T20 World Cup

Teams through to the Super 12: Pakistan, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan Full Members who are yet to qualify to the Super 12s: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland