Dates Confirmed: South Africa and Namibia to Co-Host CWC Qualifiers From February 26 to March 21

South Africa and Namibia have been confirmed as co-hosts for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, which will run from February 26 to March 21, 2027.

Dates & Scheduling: The ICC confirmed the revised 24-day tournament window during meetings in Dubai. The revised dates place the tournament between the SA20 (ending February 21) and the IPL (starting late March). Tournament Format: The qualifier is a 10-team tournament featuring group round-robin matches and play-offs to determine the final qualifying spots for the 2027 World Cup.

Participating Teams: High-profile sides such as the West Indies, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands will compete alongside top sides from ICC League 2 and the Qualifier Play-off.

Automatic Qualifiers: South Africa and Zimbabwe automatically qualified as co-hosts of the main tournament, along with top-ranked sides (India, Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh).

Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe were given automatic qualification to the World Cup, along with the next eight teams in the rankings. That includes India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The remaining four teams will be decided via the 10-team qualifier, with the winner advancing straight to the group stage of the World Cup and the remaining three teams set to play a three-match Super Series to kick off the tournament. The winner of that Super Series, to be played in Namibia, will then move on to the main group.