ICC Review Restores Guernsey's Path to 2028 T20 World Cup

Guernsey's bid to qualify for a Men's T20 World Cup for the first time has been revived after a review of the competition pathway by the International Cricket Council. BBC Sport reported on Thursday that the island team has been awarded a place in the next phase of qualifying for the 2028 tournament.

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The development changes the outcome Guernsey believed had ended their campaign in Cyprus in May. They won all four of their group matches at the Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier A but then lost to Jersey in the final. Under the rules in place at that event, the defeat left Guernsey narrowly short of the only available progression place.

BBC Sport said the ICC's subsequent review of the qualification pathway has now put Guernsey into the next round. Their campaign is due to continue next year, although the report did not specify the dates or venue for that phase. The 2028 Men's T20 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Guernsey have reached this point of the qualification process only once before, in 2024. Their run ended the following year against the Netherlands, denying them the chance to compete at the 2026 tournament in India and Sri Lanka. The reinstatement therefore gives the island another opportunity to advance beyond a stage it has never successfully cleared.

Guernsey Cricket manager Rob Thomson told BBC Radio Guernsey that he was still processing what he described as surreal news. He said the previous format, with one qualifying position available from the group, had been particularly unforgiving. Thomson argued that his players had demonstrated both depth and quality during the Cyprus event and deserved to continue.

Thomson also said Guernsey would enter the next round aiming to win matches. After watching Denmark, Spain and Portugal, he believes his team can compete with those sides when performing at its best. BBC Sport said it had contacted the ICC for comment, so the governing body's detailed explanation for the pathway review was not available in the report.