The 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe is set to be held from October 4 to November 21, according to a ESPNcricinfo report.
According to the report, the tentative dates for the tournament were agreed upon during the ICC board meeting in Ahmedabad in May with the finer details set to be confirmed at the ICC's AGM in Edinburgh in July.
South Africa is likely to host the majority of the tournament, with at least 41 of the 54 matches expected to be played across eight venues in the country. Zimbabwe is set to stage between eight and 10 matches and will feature three venues — Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and the newly-built Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls. Namibia is expected to host three matches.
The Victoria Falls venue is scheduled to be completed later this year and will first host domestic cricket before its official inauguration in May 2027. South Africa had initially explored opening the stadium with an international fixture during a proposed tour of Zimbabwe in August, but those plans have since been delayed.
The 2027 edition will mark the return of the men's ODI World Cup to Africa for the first time since 2003. In the intervening years, South Africa has hosted several ICC events, including the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, the 2009 Champions Trophy, the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup. Zimbabwe and Namibia most recently co-hosted the ICC Under-19 Men's World Cup.
The tournament format will undergo a change with 14 teams set to participate. These teams will be divided into two groups of seven, with the top three teams from each group progressing to the Super Six stage. As Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe have automatic qualification, while Namibia will need to secure its place through the qualification pathway.
Australia are the reigning Men's ODI World Cup champions having won the tournament in 2023 after beating India in the final. They are also the most successful team in the tournament's history having emerged as the champions a record six times.
The World Cup will also be the first ICC event under the 2027-31 Future Tours Programme (FTP), which governs bilateral international cricket.
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