Aqib Javed Rules Out Pakistan Winning 2027 ODI World Cup

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of High-Performance Aaqib Javed has delivered a blunt assessment of the national team’s chances of winning the 2027 ODI World Cup.

“We are lying to ourselves if we think we can win the World Cup while being ranked seventh and eighth in the world,” Aaqib Javed said.

He said Pakistan is not currently among the top four teams in the international rankings, but people still expected the national side to win every International Cricket Council (ICC) event.

“That cannot happen. Until we become one of the top four teams in the ICC rankings, we cannot consider ourselves capable of winning,” he said.

Pakistan is currently fifth in the official ICC ODI rankings with a rating of 100. However, rankings can change as teams play further bilateral series before the qualification cutoff for the 2027 World Cup.

Aaqib has previously stressed that Pakistan must maintain a strong ODI ranking as it prepares for the 2027 World Cup. He said performances in bilateral series directly affect a team’s position and warned that poor results could force Pakistan to compete in the World Cup qualifiers.

Citing recent examples, he pointed to Sri Lanka and the West Indies, who failed to qualify directly for the 2023 ODI World Cup and were required to take part in the qualifying tournament.

According to Aaqib, Pakistan’s immediate priority should be to remain among the leading ODI teams and avoid the risk of missing automatic qualification. Once that position is secured, he said, the team can focus on preparing for the conditions in South Africa, where the next World Cup will be held.

But the statements did not make much sense as the qualification route for the 2027 ODI World Cup has been changed, and Pakistan are almost certain to qualify directly for the mega-event.