The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is set to return to Africa, with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia expected to jointly host the prestigious tournament from October 4 to November 21, 2027. According to reports, the proposed schedule was discussed and broadly approved during the ICC Board meeting held in Ahmedabad earlier this year, with formal ratification likely at the ICC Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh this July.
South Africa is expected to play the leading role as host nation, with eight venues projected to stage more than 40 of the tournament’s 54 matches. Zimbabwe will reportedly host between eight and ten games across three venues, while Namibia is expected to stage three matches during the competition.
One of the most exciting developments is the inclusion of Victoria Falls as a World Cup host city. The city joins Harare and Bulawayo on Zimbabwe’s venue list and will feature the newly constructed Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium.
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The venue, currently under development near the iconic Victoria Falls, is scheduled to be completed later this year and is expected to host domestic cricket before its official international unveiling in 2027. The tournament will mark the first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup held in Africa since 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya shared hosting responsibilities.
Since then, South Africa has successfully hosted several major ICC events, including the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Zimbabwe and Namibia also gained valuable experience by co-hosting the ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup in recent years.
🏆 ICC has identified an Oct 1-Nov 21 window for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup
🗓️OCT 8 – Nov 21
🆚 54 matches in total
🇿🇦 SA to host 40 games
🌍 14-team format returns
👥 Two groups of seven followed by Super Six pic.twitter.com/oOuLys6rsC— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) June 11, 2026
A major change for the 2027 edition is the return of the 14-team format. The previous two ODI World Cups featured only 10 teams, but the ICC has decided to expand the competition once again. The participating teams will be divided into two groups of seven, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the Super Six stage before the knockout rounds.
As Full Members of the ICC, South Africa and Zimbabwe are expected to qualify automatically for the tournament. Namibia, however, will need to secure its place through the qualification process. Beyond the World Cup, attention is also turning to the ICC’s next Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle for 2027-31.
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Discussions continue around potential changes to the World Test Championship structure, including expanding the competition to all 12 Full Member nations. Such a move would bring teams like Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe into the WTC framework. The ICC is also considering allowing standalone Test matches to contribute to WTC standings. Key decisions on both proposals are expected during the ICC AGM in July, potentially shaping the future of international cricket for the next four-year cycle.
