The 14th edition of cricket’s One Day tournament has been unveiled. Scheduled to be played in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, the tournament will take place across eight venues in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and one in Namibia. It will be the second time South Africa and Zimbabwe host a Men’s ODI event, with Namibia hosting its first major ICC tournament. We look at the Men’s ODI WC 2027 Schedule, seedings and groupings, and how the new format works.
The new format, which was revealed on 15 July 2026, takes it in a completely new direction. It is a format that has been mixed with the ones used in 1999, 2003 and 2007, with a little bit of twerk. 14 teams will participate in the competition, but unlike the usual two groups of seven, it has been divided into four different categories: Round 1 – Super Series (3 matches), Round 2 (30 matches), Round 3 – Super 7 (21 matches) and Knockout stage (3 matches). A total of 57 matches will be played.
The three lowest-seeded teams in the field will compete in the Super Series, with the winner progressing in the next round. In Round 2, the twelve teams will be divided into two groups of six. The top three teams from each group, as well as the fourth-place team from both groups, will move on to the Super 7 stage. In Super 7, the seven qualified teams will participate in a single round-robin format, with the leading four teams advancing to the semi-finals.
To know more about the tournament’s new format, read this article!
Explainer: How do the new formats for ICC tournaments work?
ICC Announces Men’s ODI WC 2027 Schedule and groupings
The bottom four teams will be decided via 2027 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers. The qualifier will feature 10 teams, with the top four advancing. The winner, though, will be slotted immediately into Group 2 of the main event. The other three will play the “Super Series” to compete for the final spot.
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The 2nd round sees 10 teams already, though, based on ICC rankings. Defending Champions Australia, India, Pakistan, co-host Zimbabwe and Afghanistan are in Group A, awaiting the winner of the Super Series. Group B consists of co-hosts South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the winner of the 2027 CWCQ.
Top three teams from each group, plus the best fourth-placed team across both groups, will progress to the Super 7s. That round will be played in a single round-robin, and all teams who played before in Round 2 will play again. From the Super 7, the top four teams will play the knockouts.
Below are the groupings:
| Super Series |
| X1 |
| X2 |
| X3 |
This will be a single round-robin of three matches. Topper will be slotted in Group A.
| Round 2 | |
| Group A | Group B |
| India | New Zealand |
| Australia | South Africa |
| Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
| Afghanistan | England |
| Zimbabwe | Bangladesh |
| Qualifier A (from Super Series) | Qualifier B (The Winner of CWCQ 2027) |
The top three teams from each group + the next best-ranked team will play the Super 7 stage.
| Super 7 | |
| Teams | Allotted Seedings |
| India | A1 |
| Australia | A2 |
| Pakistan | A3 |
| England | AB4 |
| New Zealand | B1 |
| South Africa | B2 |
| Sri Lanka | B3 |
Note that the allotted seeding teams’ match schedule can be changed if any non-seeded team replaces a seeded team.
For example: If Zimbabwe qualifies instead of Pakistan, they will take Pakistan’s seed of A3. This means the pre-scheduled India vs Pakistan on November 7 will become India vs Zimbabwe.
Top four teams from Super 7 will qualify for the knock-outs and will be played on the 1v4 and 2v3 format. All three knockout matches have reserved days.
Here is the complete schedule;
| Super Series (3 matches) | |||
| Date | Match | Venue | |
| October 2 | X1 vs X3 | Windhoek | |
| October 4 | X1 vs X2 | Windhoek | |
| October 6 | X2 vs X3 | Windhoek | |
| Round 2 – Group Stage (30 matches) | |||
| Date | Group | Match | Venue |
| Oct 7 | A | India vs Australia | Cape Town |
| Oct 8 | A | Pakistan vs Afghanistan | Centurion |
| B | England vs Bangladesh | Windhoek | |
| Oct 9 | A | Zimbabwe vs Qualifier A | Bulawayo |
| B | South Africa vs New Zealand | Cape Town | |
| Oct 10 | A | India vs Pakistan | Johannesburg |
| B | Sri Lanka vs Qualifier B | Windhoek | |
| Oct 11 | A | Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan | Bulawayo |
| Oct 12 | A | Australia vs Qualifier A | Paarl |
| B | New Zealand vs Bangladesh | KuGompo City | |
| Oct 13 | B | England vs Sri Lanka | Windhoek |
| B | South Africa vs Qualifier B | Paarl | |
| Oct 14 | A | India vs Afghanistan | Centurion |
| Oct 15 | A | Pakistan vs Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| A | Zimbabwe vs Australia | Harare | |
| Oct 16 | B | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Durban |
| B | South Africa vs England | Gqeberha | |
| Oct 17 | A | India vs Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| B | New Zealand vs Qualifier B | Harare | |
| Oct 18 | A | Australia vs Afghanistan | KuGompo City |
| Oct 19 | A | Zimbabwe vs Pakistan | Harare |
| B | South Africa vs Bangladesh | Durban | |
| Oct 20 | B | New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | Johannesburg |
| B | England vs Qualifier B | Harare | |
| Oct 21 | A | Afghanistan vs Qualifier A | KuGompo City |
| Oct 22 | A | Australia vs Pakistan | Paarl |
| B | South Africa vs Sri Lanka | Johannesburg | |
| Oct 23 | B | England vs New Zealand | Gqeberha |
| B | Bangladesh vs Qualifier B | Centurion | |
| Oct 24 | A | Zimbabwe vs India | Victoria Falls |
| Super 7 (21 matches) | |||
| Date | Group | Match | Venue |
| Oct 25 | A2 (AUS) vs B3 (SL) | Johannesburg | |
| Oct 26 | B1 (NZ) vs A3 (PAK) | Gqeberha | |
| Oct 27 | B2 (SA) vs AB4 (ENG) | Centurion | |
| Oct 28 | A1 (IND) vs A2 (AUS) | Victoria Falls | |
| Oct 29 | B1 (NZ) vs B3 (SL) | KuGompo City | |
| Oct 30 | A3 (PAK) vs AB4 (ENG) | Victoria Falls | |
| Oct 31 | B2 (SA) vs A1 (IND) | Johannesburg | |
| Nov 01 | A2 (AUS) vs B1 (NZ) | Victoria Falls | |
| Nov 02 | B3 (SL) vs AB4 (ENG) | Cape Town | |
| Nov 03 | B2 (SA) vs A3 (PAK) | Durban | |
| Nov 04 | A1 (IND) vs B1 (NZ) | Paarl | |
| Nov 05 | A2 (AUS) vs AB4 (ENG) | Durban | |
| Nov 06 | B2 (SA) vs B3 (SL) | Bloemfontein | |
| Nov 07 | A1 (IND) vs A3 (PAK) | Cape Town | |
| Nov 08 | B1 (NZ) vs AB4 (ENG) | Durban | |
| Nov 09 | B2 (SA) vs A2 (AUS) | Gqeberha | |
| Nov 10 | A3 (PAK) vs B3 (SL) | Bloemfontein | |
| Nov 11 | A1 (IND) vs AB4 (ENG) | Gqeberha | |
| Nov 12 | B2 (SA) vs B1 (NZ) | Cape Town | |
| Nov 13 | A2 (AUS) vs A3 (PAK) | Bloemfontein | |
| Nov 14 | A1 (IND) vs B3 (SL) | Durban | |
| Knockout Stage (3 matches, includes reserve day) | |||
| Nov 17 | SF 1 | 1st Placed vs 4th Placed | Cape Town |
| Nov 18 | SF 2 | 2nd Placed vs 3rd Placed | Centurion |
| Nov 21 | The Final | SF1 vs SF 2 | Johannesburg |
Also Read: PCB unveils major changes, new contract model with higher match fees!
Pakistan’s Men’s ODI WC 2027 Schedule, hosting history and previous performance
The main highlight of this tournament will be that, for the first time, India and Pakistan will take on each other twice in the same ODI World Cup. Pakistan will open their account against Afghanistan before they face their rivals. Here’s their main schedule for both the Group Stage and Super 7, should they qualify for it. For pre-tournament seedings, Pakistan are seeded “A3.”
| Group Stage | |||
| # | Date | Matches | Venue |
| 1 | 8 October | Against Afghanistan | Centurion |
| 2 | 10 October | Against India | Johannesburg |
| 3 | 15 October | Against Qualifying Team | Bloemfontein |
| 4 | 19 October | Against Zimbabwe | Harare |
| 5 | 22 October | Against Australia | Paarli |
| Super 7 | |||
| # | Date | Matches | Venue |
| 6 | 26 October | Against New Zealand | Gqeberha |
| 7 | 30 October | Against England | Victoria Falls |
| 8 | 03 November | Against South Africa | Durban |
| 9 | 07 November | Against India | Cape Town |
| 10 | 10 November | Against Sri Lanka | Bloemfontein |
| 11 | 13 November | Against Australia | Bloemfontein |
Also Read: Pakistan’s Lack of Acknowledgement Aggravates Fans’ Disappointment Post World Cup Exit
Pakistan have played in all the previous 13 editions of the tournament. Until today, their best performance has been the 1992 World Cup, winning under the leadership of Imran Khan. Since then, Pakistan have played one more final, in 1999, where they lost to Australia.
In their last tournament in India, they were eliminated in the first round. They had a good start to the event, including recording the highest chase ever in the Men’s ODI World Cup. But they suffered four straight losses next, including their first-ever loss to Afghanistan. Pakistan managed to win their next two games but lost their last game to England and were eliminated.
In the tournament where flat wickets in India produced some high-scoring games, Pakistan did not even once put on 300 in the first innings. They often found themselves bowled out before their allotted 50 overs were completed. And before of bleak bowling, they conceded 300+ scores four times with one of them crossing 400 against New Zealand.
The last time the national team played the 50-over competition in India was in 2011, when the Shahid Afridi-led team reached the semi-finals but lost to India.
Here are their previous performances.
| Year | Host(s) | Final Standing |
| 1975 | England | Group Stage |
| 1979 | England | Semi-Final |
| 1983 | England | Semi-Final |
| 1987 | India and Pakistan | Semi-Final |
| 1992 | Australia and New Zealand | Champions |
| 1996 | India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka | Quarter-Final |
| 1999 | England, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland and Wales | Runners-Up |
| 2003 | South Africa | Group Stage |
| 2007 | West Indies | Group Stage |
| 2011 | India | Semi-Final |
| 2015 | Australia and New Zealand | Quarter-Final |
| 2019 | England and Wales | Group Stage |
| 2023 | India | Group Stage |
Given Pakistan’s recent performances, fans have already ruled out their national team going through to the knock-outs. Pakistan have done very well in South Africa, as they have been the only team to win two series since 2020. In their most recent series in late 2024, Pakistan whitewashed a full-strength Proteas side 3-0, the first team to ever do so.
Pakistan have done okay-ish in ODI cricket. But Super 7 looks to be the best place to end their tournament given their performances and constant changes in the squad.
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