Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has named his four predicted semi-finalists for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, backing India, Australia, South Africa and England to reach the last four. Finch has left out Pakistan and New Zealand, despite both teams having a strong history of competing in major ICC tournaments. The 14th edition of the ODI World Cup is scheduled to take place from October 2 to November 21, 2027.
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will jointly host the 14-team tournament, which will bring the competition back to South Africa for the first time since 2003. Speaking in a video shared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Instagram, Finch explained why he believes England could be serious contenders under captain Harry Brook. He pointed to their aggressive batting approach and ability to tackle spin during the middle overs as key strengths.
“I think the way that England are playing their cricket at the moment under Harry Brook, they’ve got a side that has the ability to play spin really well through the middle overs. They’re quite aggressive and destructive. Harry Brook is arguably one of the best players in the world in that format,” Aaron Finch said.
England endured a disappointing title defence at the 2023 ODI World Cup, finishing seventh in the group stage. However, Finch believes their current approach and the quality of Brook’s leadership could help them challenge for the trophy in 2027.
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Alongside England, Finch selected India and Australia, the two teams that contested the 2023 World Cup final. Australia won that title clash in Ahmedabad, extending their record as the most successful team in the history of the men’s ODI World Cup. India, meanwhile, will be determined to go one step further on their next campaign. Finch also believes South Africa have the qualities required to make a deep run in the tournament, particularly with home conditions working in their favour.
The Proteas reached the semi-finals in 2023 before losing to eventual champions Australia in Kolkata. “South Africa, in their home conditions, have a lot of bases covered. They’ve got great quicks, very good spin, and their batting has a great mix of youth and experience. They’ve got that freedom as well, so they’ll be dangerous. And, of course, Australia,” he added.
South Africa’s combination of fast bowlers, spin options and experienced batters could make them difficult opponents. Playing in familiar conditions may also prove valuable as they attempt to win their first men’s ODI World Cup title. The tournament is scheduled to begin in Windhoek, Namibia, on October 2, with a three-team Super Series determining the final participant in the main group stage. The 12 directly qualified teams will then be split into two groups of six, with the main group stage scheduled to begin in Cape Town on October 7.
Australia and India are set to meet in the opening group-stage match, with another clash scheduled for October 16 at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe are scheduled to begin their campaigns on October 9 and 11, respectively.
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The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Seven stage, alongside the best-performing fourth-placed team. The next phase is scheduled to begin at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium on October 25. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 17 at Newlands Cricket Ground and November 18 at Centurion Park. The tournament will conclude with the final at the Wanderers Stadium on November 21, 2027. With Finch backing four strong contenders, the 2027 ODI World Cup promises a compelling contest. However, Pakistan and New Zealand will have the opportunity to challenge those predictions when the tournament gets underway.
