ICC confirms 2027 World Cup with new 14-Team format

DUBAI: The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027 will bring the trophy back to African soil after about 25 years, with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia jointly hosting the biggest cricket event.

Based on reports in the media, the tournament is anticipated to be played between October 4 and November 21, 2027.

These dates have been approved by the board of the International Cricket Council (ICC) during a meeting in Ahmedabad, although the final approval is expected to take place at the upcoming ICC Annual General Meeting in Edinburgh next month.

About 41 matches out of a total of 54 matches are expected to be hosted by South Africa, while 8-10 matches are projected to be staged by Zimbabwe. On the other hand, Namibia is projected to host three matches.

This World Cup will be the first Men’s ODI World Cup in Africa since 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya hosted the event jointly.

One of the main differences that has been brought forward for the World Cup of 2027 is the introduction of a 14-team format. This would be an increase since the past two tournaments have had 10 teams, and in this case, there will be 14 teams, which will be split into two groups, with seven teams each.

Teams finishing in the top three positions in each group will qualify for the Super Six phase.

As full ICC members, South Africa and Zimbabwe are likely to gain automatic qualification, whereas Namibia must qualify through the qualifying phase.