South Africa’s dream of a direct ticket to the ODI World Cup later this year has taken a hit after receiving a one-point deduction from their Super League standings for maintaining a slow over-rate during their third ODI against England in Kimberley.
The match referee, Jeff Crowe, imposed this sanction after finding Temba Bavuma’s team to be one over short of the target after taking into consideration time allowances. Additionally, South Africa received a fine of 20% of their match fee for the offense.
South Africa may not qualify for ICC cricket world cup 2023
The ODI Super League is a 12-team tournament that serves as a direct qualification path for the 2023 World Cup. The top eight teams in the league will secure their place in the World Cup, while the bottom five teams will have to compete in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier along with five Associate teams. Only two teams from the qualifier will progress to the World Cup and complete the line-up of ten contenders.
Currently, South Africa is ninth in the ODI Super League with 78 points, down from 79 before the penalty. Seven of the top eight spots in the Super League have already been taken by New Zealand, India, England, Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The only remaining spot is occupied by the West Indies with 88 points, with South Africa, Sri Lanka (77 points), and Ireland (68 points) still in the running.
In order for South Africa to secure their place in the ICC cricket world cup 2023, they need two wins in their remaining matches against the Netherlands. However, if they end the series 1-1, they will finish level with the West Indies.
On the other hand, if Sri Lanka wins all three ODIs in New Zealand, they will go past South Africa, and if Ireland wins all three matches against Bangladesh, they will catch up with South Africa, and net run rate will come into play.
Sri Lanka will qualify for sure if they beat New Zealand 3-0, but if they lose one game, they will depend on the results of other teams. Ireland has two three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, one in March and one in May.
A 3-0 series win in May will take Ireland to 98 points, which will be enough for qualification if Sri Lanka doesn’t win all three games in New Zealand and if Ireland finishes ahead of South Africa on points or net run rate.
West Indies have completed their eight bilateral series in the Super League and have 88 points with a net run rate of -0.738. The only way for them to secure their place in the World Cup is if South Africa loses 2-0 to the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka and Ireland win no more than one game in their remaining series.
In conclusion, the race for direct qualification to the 2023 World Cup is heating up, with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and the West Indies still in contention. The pressure is on for these teams to perform and secure their place in the highly-anticipated tournament.
With their recent over-rate penalty, South Africa has to step up their game and give it their all in their remaining matches. This exciting competition is sure to provide fans with nail-biting moments and unforgettable cricket action.
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