Sri Lanka, Bangladesh fail to secure direct entry into ICC T20 World Cup Super 12 stage
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will take the long route in order to make it to the World Cup Super 12 stage as ICC confirmed that only the top-eight ranked sides would be given a direct entry. The two nations would be slogging it out with six other teams for the final four spots in the knockout stage.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been two of the bigger names in international cricket in the last two decades or so establishing themselves as two of the top 10 teams in the world. However, despite their status in international cricket, the Asian pair would have to take the longer route to qualify for the Super 12’s stage in the ICC T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Australia.
The 16-team tournament will see the top eight-ranked sides - Pakistan, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Windies and Afghanistan - secure a spot in the Super 12s. The two Asian powerhouses will go up against six other nations, who will make it there via World T20 qualifiers, following which the eight teams will then be competing for the four remaining vacant spots in the Super 12s.
Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka captain, expressed his disappointment at not earning a direct spot in the Super 12s but also added that he is hoping to secure qualification into the knockout stage of the tournament.
"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. 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," Malinga told Cricbuzz staff.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan was also adamant that his team had it in them to comfortably make it to the Super 12s based on their recent form in the shorter format of the game.
"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. We have not secured a direct Super 12s berth but I'm confident that we will do well in the tournament by going through the group stage. 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," Shakib added.
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