ICC T20 World Cup 2020: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh fail to secure entry to Super 12s

Top 10 teams as on Dec 31, 2018 ensure direct qualification. While the top eight will enter the competition directly in the Super 12s stage, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will have to play in the group stage along with six qualifiers to progress.

Indian team, currently ranked second in T20s, have earned direct qualification for the 2020 T20 World Cup.

Former champion and three-time finalist Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have failed to earn a direct entry to Super 12s stage of the ICC World T20 World Cup, it was announced on Tuesday.

It will have to contend with the other six qualifiers in the group stage of the tournament, which will be held from 18 October to 15 November 2020. Four teams from the group stage will advance to the Super 12s.

India, Pakistan and six other top-ranked teams will begin their campaign in the Super 12s stage, the International Cricket Council announced on Tuesday.

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As per the qualification criteria set for the tournament, Australia and the other nine top ranked sides have ensured direct qualification based on the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings as on December 31, 2018. 

Of the top 10 sides on the rankings table, top-ranked Pakistan, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, the Windies and Afghanistan will start their campaign directly in in the Super 12s.

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Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga was confident of the team overcoming the challenge.  “Having played three finals and winning once, it is natural that everyone expected us to finish in the top-eight but we have to take the opportunity in the extra matches of the group stage and prepare well for the knock-out matches.

“We have some fine players in the ranks and it is only a matter of doing our best when the time comes. We look forward to challenges coming our way as we prepare for the big event,” Malinga said.

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Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said:  “We are a side capable of beating the best on our day and I see no reason why we can’t go far in the tournament. There is still some time and we will use it to be at our best for the T20 World Cup."

“We won a T20 series against the West Indies, the world champions, in their backward not so long ago. That performance has given us a lot of belief in our Twenty20 capabilities.”