Bangladesh, Sri Lanka in group-stage qualifiers of 2020 World T20

Bangladesh will have to go through the group stages of the World T20 in 2020, with the likes of Sri Lanka and six other low-ranked teams, based on the latest T20I rankings, according to a press release from the International Cricket Council.

The ICC today confirmed that the top eight teams have qualified directly for the event to be held in Australia, while the lowest-ranked eight teams will go through the group stage of qualifiers. The cut-off date for the rankings was on 31 December 2018, when Bangladesh were placed 10th in the 17-team ladder.The group stage of the tournament will be held from 18 October to 15 November 2020.

As per the qualification criteria set for the tournament, hosts Australia and the other nine top ranked sides have ensured direct qualification. The top eight make it straight to the Super 12s stage while numbers nine and 10 -- Bangladesh and Sri Lanka -- will play in the group stage along with six other teams who will make it through from the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in 2019. Four teams from the group stage will advance to the Super 12s.

Of the top 10 sides on the rankings table, top-ranked Pakistan, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, the Windies and Afghanistan will start their campaign directly in in the Super 12s. 

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said: “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.”