The ICC Men ODI World Cup 2027 will be hosted by three African countries where South Africa will be the centre of attraction. The 54 matches will be played in South Africa (44), Namibia (4) and Zimbabwe (4).
ODI World Cup returns to South Africa
The hosting cities will consist of eight South African cities; namely, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London and Paarl. Majority of the activity in October and November 2027 will be hosted in these venues, with South Africa playing the key role in hosting the tournament.
This is a milestone in South African cricket as the world cup is returning home. The most recent ICC men event in the country was the Champions Trophy of 2009. Previously, South Africa has hosted the first ever T20 World Cup in 2007 and co-hosted the ODI World Cup 2003.
The rainbow nation has also hosted women events such as the 2005 Women ODI World Cup and 2023 T20 World Cup. In the latter, the South African women reached the final but were defeated by Australia leaving an unforgettable impression on the audience of the country.
Local organising committee for ODI World Cup
To supervise preparations, CSA has established a local organising committee. Former finance minister Trevor Manuel will chair the panel whose mandate will be to deliver a smooth and grand edition of ODI World Cup 2027.
Pearl Maphoshe, the CSA chairperson, emphasised the vision of the board. She said, “CSA’s vision is to stage a global, inspiring event which will reflect the face of South Africa – diverse, inclusive, and united.” This quote creates the mood of a tournament that is aimed at depicting the cultural and sporting spirit of South Africa.
The hosting duties are anticipated to enhance infrastructure, generate employment and enhance the cricketing ecosystem. By combining matches in eight venues CSA hopes to distribute the advantages of the ODI World Cup throughout the country.
Past ODI World Cup in India
The upcoming 2023 Men ODI World Cup in India has established huge standards of hosting. The matches were hosted in 10 stadiums, the opening match and the final were hosted in the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The semifinals were hosted in Mumbai and Kolkata and the remaining in Bengaluru, Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Dharamsala.
The hosting pattern in India was well distributed and this made the sport celebrated pan-nationally. The ODI World Cup in 2027 will now aim at replicating the same energy in the African continent, especially in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Women’s ODI World Cup and future ICC events
In the lead up to the mega event in men, more global cricket in the subcontinent will be witnessed by the fans. The Women ODI World Cup later this year will be hosted in Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Indore and Bengaluru in India as well as the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo Sri Lanka.
Also, the ICC Men T20 World Cup is to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in early 2026. These will be a direct build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa, to keep the world cricket on the move.
The African edition of the ODI World Cup will present the mixture of tradition and innovation. The 2027 tournament will be a lively display of the diversity and spread of the sport with South Africa as the anchor and Namibia and Zimbabwe playing supportive roles.
