Graeme Smith has welcomed the return of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to Africa, saying the continent has earned the right to host another global tournament….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has hailed the return of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to Africa after more than two decades, saying the continent “deserves” to host another global cricket showpiece.
The 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, marking the first time the tournament has returned to Africa since the 2003 edition, which was co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The venues and tournament branding were unveiled during a launch event in Johannesburg.
Smith, an ICC Hall of Famer, said bringing the tournament back to the continent was long overdue.
“It’s been a long time coming since Africa or South Africa hosted a men’s world cricket event again. I think the vibrancy of these three nations, the quality of players, the fan base certainly deserve a world event in the game, so it’s great to have it back,” he told the ICC.
The 2027 tournament will be staged across 12 venues, including eight in South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. It will become only the third Men’s Cricket World Cup to be hosted by three countries, following the 1996 and 2003 editions.
Smith also underlined the enduring prestige of the 50-over World Cup despite the growing number of global cricket tournaments.
“I think from a world sporting event perspective, most World Cups happen every four-year cycle. It’s seen as the event to win. It’s obviously got a lot more tradition, a lot more stature. I think still when you get to this ODI World Cup it’s going to be intense, the fandom is going to be great. I think it’s the one that everyone wants to get their hands on,” he said.
The 2027 edition will be the first ODI World Cup since 2015 to feature 14 teams, expanding from the 10-team format used in the previous two tournaments.
Welcoming the larger field, Smith drew comparisons with football’s recently expanded FIFA World Cup.
“We’ve just come off a football World Cup where you’ve seen a massive amount of nations compete and the cultures and the coming together of many different countries getting behind their teams. It’s amazing. With 14 teams now, you hope that many people decide to come and travel to South Africa and be a part of the event,” he said.
Smith added that the expanded format reflected cricket’s continued growth around the world.
“I think you’ve seen the fan base and the teams coming through. I think that’s improved dramatically over the last few years. I think we want to see cricket grow,” he added.
