ICC sets tentative schedule for 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa

DUBAI: The 2027 men’s ODI World Cup, set to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, has been provisionally scheduled from October 4 to November 21, according to the agreed international calendar.

The dates were approved at a recent board meeting of the International Cricket Council in Ahmedabad in May, with final confirmation expected at the ICC Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh in July.

It is understood that South Africa, under Cricket South Africa, will stage the majority of matches, likely hosting at least 41 of the 54 games across eight venues. Zimbabwe, overseen by Zimbabwe Cricket, is expected to host between eight and 10 fixtures, while Namibia will stage three matches under Cricket Namibia.

Zimbabwe’s venue list is also set to expand from two to three grounds, with Victoria Falls joining Harare Sports Club and Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium is expected to be completed later this year, initially hosting domestic fixtures before an official inauguration scheduled for next May.

Plans for South Africa to tour Zimbabwe in August to open the venue for international cricket have been postponed.

The 2027 edition will mark the return of the men’s ODI World Cup to Africa for the first time since 2003.

South Africa has previously hosted major ICC events, including the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2009 Champions Trophy and the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup, while Zimbabwe and Namibia recently co-hosted the Under-19 Men’s World Cup.

The tournament will expand back to a 14-team format after featuring 10 teams in the previous two editions. Teams will be divided into two groups of seven, with the top three from each group progressing to the Super Six stage.

South Africa and Zimbabwe will qualify automatically as Full Members, while Namibia will need to go through the qualification pathway. The 2027 World Cup will also serve as the opening event of the 2027–2031 Future Tours Programme, which governs bilateral international cricket schedules.

Final details of the FTP are expected to be concluded in ICC meetings later this year, with discussions ongoing over the structure of the World Test Championship and its possible expansion.

A key point of debate remains whether all 12 Full Members should be included in the World Test Championship, along with the possibility of allowing one-off Tests to count towards the competition. A final decision on these matters could be taken at the July AGM, after which the full FTP structure will be formalised.