Australia players celebrate with the 2023 ODI World Cup trophy. (Express Archive | Nirmal Harindran)The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday unveiled the venues of next year’s ODI World Cup with twelve grounds across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia chosen. The venues were unveiled after a ceremony in Johannesburg which saw eight cities across South Africa, three in Zimbabwe and Namibia’s capital Windhoek unveiled as co-hosts for the tournament.South Africa’s venues are Wanderers Stadium (Johannesburg), Centurion (Tshwane), Newlands Cricket Ground (Cape Town), Kingsmead Cricket Ground (Durban), St George’s Park (Gqeberha), Mangaung Oval (Bloemfontein), Boland Park (Paarl) and Buffalo Park (KuGompo City, formerly known as East London). Zimbabwe will host matches in Harare Sports Club (Harare), Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo), Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium (Victoria Falls) and the matches in Namibia will be held in Namibia Cricket Ground (Windhoek).The marquee 50-over competition will return to Africa after 24 years. Back in 2003, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya hosted the eighth Men’s Cricket World Cup. Since having co-hosted the 2003 Men’s Cricket World Cup, South Africa have played host to a number of major ICC tournaments from the the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (2007), the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (2023), the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cups (2020 and 2024) and the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup (2023).퐃퐞퐬퐭퐢퐧퐚퐭퐢퐨퐧 ➡️ #퐂퐖퐂ퟐퟕ The 12 venues set to host the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 have officially been confirmed ️https://t.co/QLxDyjmGjC— ICC (@ICC) July 30, 2026Also Read | ICC announces major revamp of ODI and T20 World Cup formats“This marks an exciting milestone on the road to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027,” ICC Chairman Jay Shah said.“The unveiling of the host cities and the tournament brand signals the start of a journey that will unite fans around the world and build anticipation for one of our sport’s biggest global events. The return of this prestigious tournament to Africa after 24 years is a landmark moment for cricket. We are confident that South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will deliver an unforgettable event, showcasing the warmth, passion and rich diversity that make this region truly unique,” he added.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.Tags:Cricket World Cup