In 2023, the West Indies men’s cricket team failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. The whole cricket community was in shock. The Men in Maroon were the champions of the first two editions of the event, 1975 and 1979, and about 50 years later, they couldn’t even qualify for the tournament.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Caribbean fans have to endure more. The West Indies’ women’s cricket team, who have played the last five editions of the Women’s ODI World Cup and reached the semifinal in 2022, have failed to qualify for the 2025 edition of the tournament. As luck would have it, it’s played in India as well.
4 balls change West Indies’ fortunes
The Hayley Matthews-led side was tied with Ireland and Scotland on the points table. But since they had already played their matches, the West Indies stood a chance. Bangladesh, who were ahead of them, 6 points to 4, were to face Pakistan. That game had started at 10 AM in Lahore, about 5 and a half hours after West Indies took on Thailand.
Luck seemed to be on their side. Pakistan, who had already qualified, beat Bangladesh with ease, by 7 wickets. But they were still far behind on net run rate (NRR). West Indies dismissed Thailand on 166 and chased the target down in just 10.5 overs. But unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.
Bangladesh qualified due to a superior NRR. The difference was just 0.013. Had West Indies chased the target down in 10.1 overs, they would have qualified. But it just wasn’t to be.
Teams qualified for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025
| Scenario | Spots | Qualified |
|---|---|---|
| Host nation | 1 | India |
| ICC Women’s Championship 2022–2025 (Top 5 teams, excluding the host) | 5 | Australia |
| England | ||
| New Zealand | ||
| South Africa | ||
| Sri Lanka | ||
| Women’s ODI World Cup Qualifier 2025 | 2 | Bangladesh |
| Pakistan |
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