Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday announced the formation of a local organising committee for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will return to the African continent for the first time since 2003.
According to CSA, 44 of the tournament’s 54 matches will be played across eight venues in South Africa, with Zimbabwe and Namibia to host the remaining 10 fixtures. Matches in South Africa are scheduled for Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London and Paarl.
Former South African finance minister Trevor Manuel has been appointed to head the organising committee. CSA chairperson Pearl Maphoshe said the board aimed to deliver a “global, inspiring event” that reflected South Africa’s diversity and inclusivity.
South Africa has previously hosted two women’s World Cups — the 50-over edition in 2005 and the T20 tournament in 2023, where the Proteas finished runners-up to Australia.
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Maharaj reclaims No.1 ODI bowlers’ ranking
Meanwhile, South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC men’s ODI bowlers’ rankings following his match-winning performance against Australia in Cairns.
Maharaj returned figures of 5/33 to secure South Africa a 98-run win, moving two places above Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana (second) and India’s Kuldeep Yadav (third). It was the 34-year-old’s maiden five-wicket haul in one-day internationals.
The left-armer first rose to No.1 in November 2023 during the ODI World Cup, displacing India’s Mohammed Siraj. Since then, he has remained a regular presence in the top five.
No Pakistani bowler features in the current top 10, despite Shaheen Shah Afridi’s strong series against the West Indies. Afridi, who now has 132 wickets in 65 ODIs, fell short of breaking into the upper tier of the rankings.
