The top eight ODI teams as per rankings will automatically qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup, not top six.
And this is excluding South Africa and Zimbabwe.
If you're afraid of slipping below the top 10 effectively, then you deserve to play the qualifiers.
Aqib Javed said, "There are still 1.5 years left until the World Cup, but people forget that. In the last World Cup, Sri Lanka and the West Indies had to go through the qualifying round. Itβs important to remain in the top six through your bilateral performances because if you slip, another team can play well and overtake you. Bilateral series determine where you stand.
If, 1.5 years in advance, we start thinking about preparing to play in South Africa, then as this season ends and Sri Lanka arrives in October, thatβs when it begins to make sense. By then, you should be in a position where you donβt have to fear dropping out of the top six. From October onward, the team should focus on that kind of preparation."