Windies Women seal World Cup spot after ICC ruling

West Indies Women claimed the final automatic qualifying spot for next year’s World Cup following a decision by the ICC’s technical committee to award full points to Pakistan women for the three-match series against India.

The series, which was abandoned in October due to political tension between the countries, had left the final automatic spot for a place at the tournament as a tossup between India and the West Indies.

An even share of the points from the series would have been good enough to see India pull level with the West Indies for the fourth and final automatic qualifying spot, determined by the ICC ranking table, and advance to the World Cup by virtue of having a better head-to-head record.  India recently defeated the West Indies 3-0 in a home One Day International (ODI) series.

The decision meant both Pakistan and India will head to the 2017 Women’s World Cup qualifier a 10-team tournament which will be played in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in February of next year.  The West Indies will join Australia, New Zealand and host England as automatic qualifiers.

In handing down its decision the ICC stated that there had been no acceptable reason for India to not participate in the series.

“The Technical Committee has ruled that Pakistan will be awarded two points for each of the three games and, in accordance with the ICC Women’s Championship playing conditions, India shall be considered to have scored zero runs in each of the 50 overs in each of the three matches and that its net run rate shall be adjusted accordingly,” an ICC release said.