Scotland go into their final Group 2 match against Sri Lanka with more than pride at stake. A win could improve their chances of earning automatic qualification for the next Women’s T20 World Cup, which Pakistan will host in 2028.
Close to the top four
Scotland are fifth in the group. England, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka hold the top four places, but Scotland trail Sri Lanka and New Zealand only on net run rate, so a late push is still possible.
How qualification works
The 2028 tournament will have 12 teams. Direct places go to the best-performing sides at the 2026 edition, to hosts Pakistan, and to the highest-ranked team not already qualified through results. Because Pakistan are hosts, it is likely that only one other team will get in through the ICC Women’s T20I rankings.
That is a problem for Scotland, who are 11th in the rankings, behind Ireland and Bangladesh. Even though they beat Ireland earlier in this tournament, rankings alone would leave them short of a direct spot. A top-four finish in the group is therefore their most realistic path.
The harder route
Missing out would mean the Global Qualifier, where only two teams will progress to the 2028 event. For sides such as Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands, avoiding that route would be valuable.
Scotland have already shown they can compete at this level, and they will aim to end the campaign strongly and keep alive their hopes of a direct ticket.
