The 14-team 2027 ODI tournament to be held in Africa will have a super sevens stage but no quarter-finals.
Published July 15, 2026
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a revamped format for the men’s One-Day World Cup 2027, which could lead to an additional match between India and Pakistan.
The reshuffle, revealed on Wednesday, comes after concerns were expressed over the possibility of sparse crowds in venues due to too many dead rubbers, and over a number of conclusions being postponed in recent T20 World Cups.
Next year’s Southern African Games will continue to be a 14-team tournament, but the three lowest-placed teams will participate in a qualifying round, with only one of those teams advancing to the 12-team main group stage.
This will result in only two pools of six teams and a new “Super Seven” stage replacing the previous “Super Six” round-robin.
Crucially, a 50-over tournament negates the additional risk and interest that comes with an extra round of clear-cut knockout matches, and there are no quarter-finals.
However, the ICC claimed in a statement that the new ODI World Cup structure “creates greater context, competitiveness and results during the tournament”.
The addition of teams to the round-robin stage also increases the possibility of extra time between India and Pakistan, who share a bitter rivalry that has worsened in recent years.
The subcontinent’s passion for cricket has earned the ICC lucrative broadcast rights and huge commercial revenues, making matches between India and Pakistan among the most valuable in the sport.
However, India and Pakistan no longer meet outside of ICC events, as political tensions between the border countries have effectively prohibited their governments from meeting each other.
The last time India played a bilateral series in Pakistan was in 2006 (Test series and ODI series).
In another change approved at the ICC’s annual board meeting in Edinburgh last week, the next Men’s T20 World Cup in 2028 will remain a 20-team competition, but 10 teams will qualify from the group stage instead of eight.
The two best-performing teams in the Super 10 will automatically qualify for the semi-finals in a new eliminator stage to determine their opponents.
ICC loans $12.82 million to Cricket West Indies
In a separate announcement, the ICC said it had approved a $12.82 million loan to Cricket West Indies (CWI) “in support of the membership board.”
Unlike the other leading international cricket teams, the West Indies are a regional team, and the relative economic weakness of their constituent Caribbean islands and territories, as well as the distance they travel, puts the CWI at a significant financial disadvantage compared to the “big three” of India, England and Australia.
During the recent Women’s T20 World Cup in England, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews lamented the “unfair” funding ecosystem after her cash-strapped team suffered a heavy eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the semi-finals.
“The reason we were so successful from 2012 to 2016 was because women’s cricket back then was based on pure talent,” Matthews said.
“I’ve seen the gap widen significantly when investment comes into play. … It can feel a little unfair.”
