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Men’s ODI World Cup 2027 set to run from October 4 to November 21
The 2027 men’s ODI World Cup, which will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, has been provisionally inked into the calendar to run from October 4 to November 21 that year. ESPNcricinfo has learned the dates were agreed upon at the ICC board meeting in Ahmedabad in May with the finer details set to be confirmed at the ICC’s AGM in Edinburgh in July.
It is understood that South Africa’s eight venues will likely host the bulk of the matches – at least 41 of the 54 games – with Zimbabwe due to stage between eight and 10 games, and Namibia, three. Zimbabwe will also have three venues instead of the original two, with Victoria Falls joining Harare Sports Club and Queens in Bulawayo. The Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium will be completed later this year and is set to host domestic cricket before an official inauguration next May. South Africa were initially in talks to travel to Zimbabwe this August to open the stadium as an international venue, but that has been pushed back.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be the first in Africa since the 2003 tournament, though South Africa has since hosted the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2009 Champions Trophy and the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup. Zimbabwe and Namibia recently co-hosted the Under-19 men’s World Cup. It will return to a 14-team tournament after being played between 10 teams in the previous two editions. The teams will be divided into two groups of seven, before the top three from each group advance to the Super Six stage. As Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe automatically qualify but Namibia are part of the qualification process.
That World Cup will also be the first ICC event of the 2027-2031 Future Tours Programme (FTP), which governs bilateral international engagements between sides and which is set to be finalised at ICC meetings in Hong Kong later this year. It is understood that some initial discussions have taken place but the major sticking point around the crafting of the FTP is the structure of the World Test Championship and its possible expansion.
The ICC is set to take a final decision on whether to include all 12 Full Members (currently Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are not part of the WTC) and if one-off Tests can be played as part of the WTC schedule. ESPNcricinfo understands a decision could be taken at the AGM in July, after which the full FTP will be fleshed out.
[Cricinfo]
Hosts England will take on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. The match is set to begin at 6.30pm local time (5.30pm GMT).
England hold an advantage in this contest, having won 10 out of the 12 T20Is between the sides. Sri Lanka though will draw confidence from recent history, having won the last two T20Is against England in 2023. This will be just the fourth time these two sides meet in the T20 World Cup.
England arrive at the tournament having won four out of the six matches since the start of the year, while Sri Lanka come in with momentum on their side, riding on five consecutive T20I wins that include series wins against West Indies and Bangladesh.
England (probable): Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
Sri Lanka (probable): Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika de Silva, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Malki Madara, Sugandika Kumari, Kawya Kavindi/Chetana Vimukthi
Lauren Bell has been in spectacular form all year, starting with the WPL where she finished with 12 wickets in nine games and was often a handful with the new ball. After picking three wickets in two games against New Zealand, she bagged seven wickets in three matches in the T20I series win against India. She’s bowled at an economy of 7.4 this year, and the home conditions are likely to suit her perfectly.
All eyes will once again be on Chamari Athapaththu for Sri Lanka. In what will be her 10th T20 World Cup the 36-year old will be expected to do the heavy lifting for her side. She heads into the tournament in excellent touch, highlighted by a blistering 94 off 58 balls in the warm up against Pakistan. Her contributions with the ball could prove just as important – she picked up four wickets in three matches in the series against Bangladesh in May.
Weather and conditions
The forecast points to clear skies in Birmingham on Friday evening. There was however some rain in the area on the eve of the match.
[Cricinfo]
President Donald Trump says that the US will strike Iran “very hard tonight” in a new post on Truth Social.
Here’s what the president says:
“The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America.”
Since the beginning of the conflict, Trump has repeatedly threatened to seize Kharg Island, a small island off the coast of Iran that is home to a major oil terminal.
[BBC]
Firefighters are investigating a hazardous materials incident at the Pentagon, the sprawling facility that houses the US Department of Defense, according to authorities.
In a statement on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the “department is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area”.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants,” Parnell said.
“Those systems have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance.”
In a post on X Arlington County fire and rescue said its “units, including our Hazardous Materials Team, are currently operating at the Pentagon in support of PFPA’s Hazmat Team during a hazardous materials incident”.
Further details were not immediately available.
The 600,000 square meter Pentagon is the world’s largest low-rise office building. Nearly 30,000 military and civilian personnel work at the facility each day.
[Aljazeera]
Edgbaston takes center stage as England, Sri Lanka kick off T20 World Cup
Trump says US will hit Iran ‘very hard tonight’
Firefighters on scene at Pentagon during ‘hazardous materials incident’
Samarawickrama’s rise gives Sri Lanka a second pillar
Prabhsimran, Gaikwad, Tilak score fifties in DLS loss to Afghanistan A
India-born Nikhil Chaudhary called into Australia T20I squad
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