Cricket supporters across the globe are turning their attention to South Africa as the International Cricket Council (ICC), in partnership with Cricket South Africa (CSA), prepares to reveal the complete fixture schedule for the 2027 Men’s One Day International (ODI) World Cup on Thursday, 1 October. The event in Cape Town marks an important milestone in the tournament’s countdown, coinciding with the launch of the official ticket registration and ballot process.
The flagship event signals a return to southern Africa, marking the first time the continent has staged the marquee ODI tournament since 2003, when South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya served as joint hosts. A total of 57 matches will be played across 12 venues, with South Africa hosting eight, Zimbabwe three, and Namibia one. The tournament is provisionally scheduled across October and November 2027, with multi-nation hosting showcasing the region’s cricket infrastructure on a global scale.
Direct Passage Relief for Bangladesh
Expanding from the ten-team format used in the 2019 and 2023 editions, the 2027 World Cup restores a 14-nation structure. Ten teams earn automatic spots in the main draw, while four additional places will be decided through upcoming qualification rounds.
As co-hosts, South Africa and Zimbabwe have guaranteed their places. However, direct hosting entries were restricted to ICC Full Members, forcing fellow host nation Namibia to earn their spot through the qualifier pathway.
The remaining eight direct spots go to the highest-placed teams in the official ICC ODI Team Rankings outside the automatic co-hosts. India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh currently occupy these positions.
Although Bangladesh sit ninth in the official rankings, South Africa’s automatic entry as host frees up an extra ranking place. As a result, the Tigers secure the eighth and final direct spot, bypassing the qualifier tournament altogether. Conversely, former champions the West Indies fall outside the direct entry zone and must navigate next year’s qualification event to secure one of the four unallocated slots, designated in the schedule as ‘Qualifier 1’ through ‘Qualifier 4’.
Tournament Structure and Ticket Ballot Details
The 2027 edition features a revised three-stage format before the semi-finals and final:
Stage One (Super Series): The three lowest-ranked qualified nations compete in a single round-robin group. The top-placed team moves on to the main group stage.
Stage Two (Group Stage): Twelve teams are divided into two groups of six, playing 30 matches. The top three teams from each group, along with the best fourth-placed side across both pools, advance.
Stage Three (Super Seven): Seven nations contest 21 round-robin matches. The top four teams on the points table progress to the semi-finals, with first taking on fourth and second facing third for a place in the final.
Alongside the schedule release on Thursday, the ICC will open public ticket registration. Although direct ticket purchases will not be processed immediately, registering from 1 October enables supporters to enter the official ballot system once venue dates and fixtures are locked in.