T20 World Cup 2020: Afghanistan qualify for Super 12s at Sri Lanka's expense

DUBAI: Afghanistan have qualified directly for the Super 12s phase of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2020 - pipping Sri Lanka to the final qualification place.

Hosts Australia will be joined by the other seven highest-placed teams in the Twenty20 world rankings - Pakistan, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies and Afghanistan.

The next two teams in the rankings, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will contest the initial group stage with four other sides. Four of those six teams will qualify for the Super 12s.

Sri Lanka won the World T20 in 2014 but have slipped down the International Cricket Council (ICC)'s rankings after a disappointing year.

Ireland, Zimbabwe and Scotland will play in the 14-team T20 Global Qualifier, to be played in October or November 2019, to fill the four remaining places in the group stage.

The T20 World Cup itself will be played in October and November 2020 at eight venues across Australia. The women's event will also take place in Australia earlier in the year, in February and March 2020.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Super 12s (12 teams): Australia (hosts), Pakistan, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, plus four teams from Group Stage.

Group Stage: (6 teams - 4 qualify for Super 12s) - Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, plus four teams from ICC Global Qualifier.

ICC Global Qualifier: (14 teams - 4 qualify for Group Stage) - Ireland, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Oman plus eight associate members from regional qualifying in 2019 (Africa, Americas, Asia, East Asia-Pacific, Europe).