The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027 is set to return to African soil for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, with the tournament provisionally scheduled to run from October 4 to November 21 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
According to reports, the proposed dates of the World Cup 2027 were approved during a recent International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting in Ahmedabad, with formal ratification expected at the ICC Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh next month.
South Africa is expected to shoulder the bulk of the hosting responsibilities, with Cricket South Africa (CSA) likely to stage at least 41 of the tournament’s 54 matches across eight venues.
Zimbabwe is set to host between eight and 10 fixtures, while Namibia is expected to stage three matches.
The 2027 edition will mark the first men’s ODI World Cup in Africa since the 2003 tournament, which was jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Zimbabwe’s role in the event is also set to expand, with a third venue expected to be added alongside Harare Sports Club and Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
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The new Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls is reportedly nearing completion and is expected to host domestic cricket later this year before its official inauguration in 2027.
Plans for South Africa to play an international fixture at the venue this August have reportedly been shelved, although the ground remains on course to be included in the World Cup venue list.
The upcoming tournament will also see the ODI World Cup revert to a 14-team format after the previous two editions featured only 10 teams.
The participating sides will be divided into two groups of seven, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the Super Six stage.
As Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe are expected to qualify automatically for the tournament. Namibia, however, will need to secure its place through the qualification pathway.
The event will also hold added significance as it is set to become the first major tournament of the ICC’s 2027–2031 Future Tours Programme (FTP), which governs the international bilateral calendar.
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