NEW DELHI: For a team with two ODI World Cup titles, West Indies have found themselves in an unfamiliar position again. It is the third straight World Cup cycle in which West Indies have been pushed into the qualifiers, underlining the difficult road the former champions now face. The immediate challenge is the 2027 World Cup Qualifier in February, where West Indies will be joined by Ireland, four teams from the Cricket World Cup League 2 and four sides emerging from the Qualifier Playoff. The route West Indies must navigateWest Indies cannot secure one of the automatic qualification spots before the September 30 cut-off. The tournament carries an important incentive: win it, and West Indies go straight into the second round of the 2027 World Cup.