Afghanistan confirm automatic qualification for 2023 Cricket World Cup
Nov 28, 2022
Pallekele [Sri Lanka], November 28 : Afghanistan has confirmed its slot for the next year's ICC Cricket World Cup after the second ODI against Sri Lanka was called off due to rain.
The five extra points received by the Asian side has taken them to a total of 115 points in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League standings. They are sitting at the seventh spot, safely among the top eight nations which will earn automatic qualification for the cricketing spectacle which will be held in India next year.
However, Sri Lanka's chance of automatic qualification hang by a thread. The Dasun Shanaka-led side is at 10th position in the league table with only 57 points. They have four matches remaining in the ongoing cycle for the league and they will have to produce positive results in the coming days to sneak into the top eight.
If they defeat Afghanistan in the final ODI on Wednesday, they can pick up a valuable 10 points.
Sri Lanka, the current Asian champions, will hope that spin will do the job for them in the third ODI as they did well to restrict Afghans to just 228 despite fifties from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (68) and Rahmat Shah (58) in the rain-truncated match.
Waninudu Hasaranga (1/39) and Dhananjaya de Silva (1/37) were extremely good on cutting down the run rate.
However, before rain interrupted the match, SL were at 10/0 in third over. But no action between two sides followed later.
