Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu, [email protected]
ZIMBABWE will face some of the biggest names in world cricket on home soil at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with Australia, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan lined up as their Group A opponents.
The International Cricket Council released the tournament fixtures on Thursday, confirming that Zimbabwe will play all of their group matches at home, with Bulawayo, Harare and Victoria Falls hosting the Chevrons’ campaign.
Zimbabwe are in Group A alongside India, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Qualifier A, while Group B comprises South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B.
The Chevrons will begin their campaign on October 9 in Bulawayo, where they face Qualifier A before returning to the same venue two days later for a potentially challenging encounter against Afghanistan on October 11.
They will then move to Harare for back-to-back matches against two of cricket’s traditional powerhouses.
Zimbabwe face Australia on October 15 before taking on Pakistan on October 19, giving local fans the opportunity to watch two of the game’s leading sides against the hosts at Harare Sports Club.
The biggest fixture of Zimbabwe’s group campaign, however, comes on October 24, when the Chevrons meet India in Victoria Falls.
The encounter will be historic as it will be the first Cricket World Cup match at the new Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium, with the ICC scheduling the India-Zimbabwe clash as the final match of the Group Stage.
The tournament begins on October 2, with a three-match Super Series in Windhoek determining the final Group Stage team. The Group Stage then gets underway on October 7 with India facing defending champions Australia in Cape Town.
For Zimbabwe, the fixture list provides a particularly attractive home schedule, with the country set to host five Group Stage matches involving four established international sides and one qualifier.
The Chevrons will also be among the teams chasing a place in the new Super 7 phase, which begins on October 25. The top three teams in each group, together with the better-performing fourth-placed team, will progress to that stage.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Cape Town on November 17 and Tshwane on November 18, while the final will be played in Johannesburg on November 21.
With Bulawayo, Harare and Victoria Falls all featuring in Zimbabwe’s campaign, the 2027 World Cup will take international cricket to three of the country’s major destinations, with the India fixture providing a landmark occasion for Victoria Falls.
