2020 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia - Afghanistan qualify for Super 12s at Sri Lanka's expense

 

Afghanistan have qualified directly for the Super 12s phase of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2020 - pipping Sri Lanka to the final qualification place.

Hosts Australia will be joined by the other seven highest-placed teams in the Twenty20 world rankings - Pakistan, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies and Afghanistan.

The next two teams in the rankings, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will contest the initial group stage with four other sides. Four of those six teams will qualify for the Super 12s.

Sri Lanka won the tournament- then known as the World T20 - in 2014 but have slipped down the International Cricket Council's rankings after a disappointing year.

Ireland, Zimbabwe and Scotland will play in the 14-team T20 Global Qualifier, to be played in October or November 2019, to fill the four remaining places in the group stage.

The T20 World Cup itself will be played in October and November 2020 at eight venues across Australia.

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh miss out direct entry for T20 World Cup Super 12s

World T20 2014 champions Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will have an extra round to play in the Men's T20 World Cup 2020, the ICC confirmed on Tuesday Jan 01,2019

 The 16-team tournament will have the top 8-ranked sides - Pakistan, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Windies and Afghanistan - who will get a direct passage to the Super 12s, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will start with the group stage.

The group stage will include these two sides and 6 others who will make it there via World T20 qualifiers.

The 8 teams will jostle for the 4 remaining vacant spots in the Super 12s.