England have managed to steer clear of two of the tournament's traditional powerhouses, Australia and India, in the opening round of the 2027 ICC Men's 50‑over World Cup, which will be staged across several venues in Africa. The English side, captained by Harry Brook, have been drawn into Group B, a pool that also includes co‑hosts South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and one of the qualifying teams that will earn a place through the pre‑tournament play‑offs. The competition is scheduled to run from 2 October to 21 November 2027, with matches spread across a variety of cities in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. **Group allocations** Group A will feature defending champions Australia alongside India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, co‑host Zimbabwe and a qualifier.
Group B, where England sit, comprises South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and a qualifier. Namibia, while not a full member of the ICC, will also host a handful of fixtures, giving the tournament a truly pan‑African footprint.
**Opening fixtures and schedule** The first match of the tournament will see Australia take on India in Cape Town on 7 October, a repeat of the 2023 final where the Baggy Greens triumphed by six wickets in Ahmedabad to secure a record‑extending sixth title. That high‑profile clash will be preceded by three qualifying matches on 2, 4 and 6 October, which will decide the final entrant into the main draw. England’s campaign kicks off a day later, on 8 October, against Bangladesh in Windhoek, Namibia. The English side, who lifted the trophy on home soil in 2019 before a first‑round exit in India in 2023, will look to replicate that success.
Their second group‑stage encounter is slated for 13 October, when they travel to the same venue to face Sri Lanka. A third match follows on 16 October in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) against the host nation South Africa.
After that, England will meet the qualifier that emerges from the play‑offs in Harare on 20 October. The final group match for England is set for 23 October back in Gqeberha, where they will take on New Zealand – the side they edged on a boundary count‑back to win the 2019 final at Lord’s.
In Group A, India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in Johannesburg on 10 October. Political tensions have historically limited the frequency of this rivalry in major tournaments, making any encounter between the two a headline event. The top three teams from each group, plus the best fourth‑placed side, will progress to the Super 7 stage. From there, the four highest‑ranked teams will move into the semi‑finals on 17 and 18 November, held in Cape Town and Tshwane respectively, with the championship match slated for 21 November in Johannesburg.
**Detailed match calendar** - 2 Oct (Windhoek): Qualifier 1 vs Qualifier 3 - 4 Oct (Windhoek): Qualifier 1 vs Qualifier 2 - 6 Oct (Windhoek): Qualifier 2 vs Qualifier 3 - 7 Oct (Cape Town): India vs Australia - 8 Oct (Windhoek): England vs Bangladesh; 8 Oct (Tshwane): Pakistan vs Afghanistan - 9 Oct (Bulawayo): Zimbabwe vs Qualifier A; 9 Oct (Cape Town): South Africa vs New Zealand - 10 Oct (Johannesburg): India vs Pakistan; 10 Oct (Windhoek): Sri Lanka vs Qualifier B - 11 Oct (Bulawayo): Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan - 12 Oct (Paarl): Australia vs Qualifier A; 12 Oct (KuGompo City): New Zealand vs Bangladesh - 13 Oct (Windhoek): England vs Sri Lanka; 13 Oct (Paarl): South Africa vs Qualifier B - 14 Oct (Tshwane): India vs Afghanistan - 15 Oct (Bloemfontein): Pakistan vs Qualifier A; 15 Oct (Harare): Zimbabwe vs Australia - 16 Oct (Durban): Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh; 16 Oct (Gqeberha): South Africa vs England - 17 Oct (Bloemfontein): India vs Qualifier A; 17 Oct (Harare): New Zealand vs Qualifier B - 18 Oct (KuGompo City): Australia vs Afghanistan - 19 Oct (Harare): Zimbabwe vs Pakistan; 19 Oct (Durban): South Africa vs Bangladesh - 20 Oct (Johannesburg): New Zealand vs Sri Lanka; 20 Oct (Harare): England vs Qualifier B - 21 Oct (KuGompo City): Afghanistan vs Qualifier A - 22 Oct (Paarl): Australia vs Pakistan; 22 Oct (Johannesburg): South Africa vs Sri Lanka - 23 Oct (Gqeberha): England vs New Zealand; 23 Oct (Tshwane): Bangladesh vs Qualifier B - 24 Oct (Victoria Falls): Zimbabwe vs India **Super 7 phase** (seedings in brackets) - 25 Oct (Johannesburg): A2 (Australia) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - 26 Oct (Gqeberha): B1 (New Zealand) vs A3 (Pakistan) - 27 Oct (Tshwane): B2 (South Africa) vs AB4 (England) - 28 Oct (Victoria Falls): A1 (India) vs A2 (Australia) - 29 Oct (KuGompo City): B1 (New Zealand) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - 30 Oct (Victoria Falls): A3 (Pakistan) vs AB4 (England) - 31 Oct (Johannesburg): B2 (South Africa) vs A1 (India) - 1 Nov (Victoria Falls): A2 (Australia) vs B1 (New Zealand) - 2 Nov (Cape Town): B3 (Sri Lanka) vs AB4 (England) - 3 Nov (Durban): B2 (South Africa) vs A3 (Pakistan) - 4 Nov (Paarl): A1 (India) vs B1 (New Zealand) - 5 Nov (Durban): A2 (Australia) vs AB4 (England) - 6 Nov (Bloemfontein): B2 (South Africa) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - 7 Nov (Cape Town): A1 (India) vs A3 (Pakistan) - 8 Nov (Durban): B1 (New Zealand) vs AB4 (England) - 9 Nov (Gqeberha): B2 (South Africa) vs A2 (Australia) - 10 Nov (Bloemfontein): A3 (Pakistan) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) - 11 Nov (Gqeberha): A1 (India) vs AB4 (England) - 12 Nov (Cape Town): B2 (South Africa) vs B1 (New Zealand) - 13 Nov (Bloemfontein): A2 (Australia) vs A3 (Pakistan) - 14 Nov (Durban): A1 (India) vs B3 (Sri Lanka) **Knock‑out stage** - 17 Nov: Semi‑Final 1 – Cape Town - 18 Nov: Semi‑Final 2 – Tshwane - 21 Nov: Final – Johannesburg England’s path through Group B gives them a relatively balanced set of opponents, avoiding the immediate challenge of facing either Australia or India until the later stages of the tournament. Their opening match against Bangladesh offers a chance to start the campaign on a positive note, while the subsequent fixtures against Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand will test the depth and adaptability of Brook’s squad. If England can secure enough points to finish among the top three—or claim the best fourth‑place spot—they will advance to the Super 7 round, where a single loss could still keep their title hopes alive.
The expanded schedule, with matches spread across multiple African cities, promises a vibrant atmosphere and the opportunity for fans across the continent to witness world‑class cricket. The tournament’s format, which mirrors the successful structure used in previous editions, ensures that every game carries weight, making England’s avoidance of the two biggest rivals a strategic advantage as they chase a second World Cup crown.