- ICC & LOC assessed Namibia Cricket Ground readiness and minimum standards for cricket operations, player facilities, broadcasting, media, spectators and fan experience.
- The Namibian Government commits to working with Cricket Namibia to meet tournament requirements and maximise the event’s benefits.
- The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 ballot remains open. Fans have until 23h59 (CAT) on 21 November to register and select their desired matches at tickets.cricketworldcup.com
Cricket Namibia welcomed representatives from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 Local Organising Committee (LOC) to the Namibia Cricket Ground on Friday, 23 October 2026, for a venue inspection ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which Namibia will co-host alongside South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The tournament will return to African soil for the first time in 24 years, presenting Namibia with an opportunity to showcase its cricketing capabilities, tourism offering and hospitality to a global audience.
Namibia was the final stop on a three-week inspection tour covering host cities across the three co-hosting nations. ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 Tournament Director, Sarah Edgar reflected positively on her previous experience working with Cricket Namibia and noted that Namibia’s recent hosting of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup provided valuable experience and served as a good test ahead of the 2027 tournament.
She said: “Delivering an event of the scale of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, hosted across three countries is a significant undertaking. Its success relies on strong collaboration between the ICC, its local delivery partners including Cricket Namibia, Cricket South Africa and Zimbabwe Cricket, the LOC and the respective government authorities and a wide range of other stakeholders. Each party has a critical role to play, and the engagement, commitment and the spirit of partnership we have experienced throughout these inspections has been extremely encouraging.
“We have established a strong foundation, a clear understanding of priorities, actions and a shared roadmap to build on going into the next 12 months. This collective effort will be essential in not only delivering a successful tournament but also to maximizing the opportunities and long-term benefits for our host nations.
“What makes the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 particularly special is the opportunity to bring the world to southern Africa. We want fans to not only experience world-class cricket, but the incredible hospitality, culture and energy that makes the region so unique. Our ambition is to deliver a truly memorable African World Cup, that creates unforgettable experiences and leaves a lasting legacy for cricket across our host nations.”
For Cricket Namibia, preparations extend beyond meeting tournament requirements. The World Cup presents an opportunity to grow the game locally, strengthen partnerships and create a lasting legacy for Namibian cricket.
Government Reaffirms Its Support
The Deputy Director of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr. Irvine Ndjavera, highlighted the significance of hosting the tournament and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting the preparations.
“The presence of the ICC and the Cricket World Cup LOC in Namibia carries great significance for our nation, particularly for the Government. We recognise the immense impact that hosting an event of this magnitude can have on our country, and we welcome the inspection with confidence that we will meet the required standards.
“The Government has confidence in Cricket Namibia, and our collaboration has already demonstrated what we can achieve when we work together. During the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, we showed our commitment as a stakeholder, and we continue to work around the clock to ensure that the necessary requirements are met.
“This tournament presents a lasting legacy for Namibia, from its economic impact and infrastructure development to the continued growth of cricket and our standing as a cricketing nation,” he said.
Three Nations, One Heartbeat
Qondisa Ngwenya, CEO of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 LOC, described the inspection as an important milestone in preparations for the tournament.
“It is an honour to come and visit Namibia ahead of the Cricket World Cup. This is about three nations, one heartbeat. It is about bringing the three countries together to deliver a spectacular World Cup, an unforgettable and unmissable event for the teams and fans around the world.
“To be here with the technical team for the inspection and to make sure the venue is able to deliver is a big milestone in the delivery of the tournament. It is something very necessary for us to do, and it also becomes an opportunity for Namibia to showcase its capabilities.
“We are grateful to have a willing partner. Having both Cricket Namibia and the Government working together is a very important element in delivering the tournament. These two partners are important stakeholders in ensuring its success,” he said.
Ngwenya emphasised the importance of delivering a seamless experience across Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, with consistent standards for teams and supporters.
For Namibia, the tournament will also provide a platform to showcase its cultural heritage and tourism offering. The message, “Come for the cricket, stay for the culture,” captures the opportunity to encourage international visitors to discover more of the country beyond the matches.
Building a Lasting Legacy for Namibian Cricket
Edward Khoza, COO of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 LOC, highlighted the importance of using the tournament to grow cricket and expand its reach in Namibia.
“It is critical for us to make the circle bigger. We do not want cricket in Namibia to remain the same after the World Cup. We want to make sure that the content hosted in Namibia creates opportunities to grow the game.
“Namibia is set to host six major matches, and there is significant interest in these fixtures from a ticketing perspective. More than 1.7 million expressions of interest have been recorded for matches to be played in Namibia, with the England versus Bangladesh fixture alone attracting approximately 650,000 expressions of interest. This is big for Namibia.
“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, and Cricket Namibia has been preparing for this opportunity through the successful hosting of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup,” he said.
Cricket Namibia aims to use the World Cup as a catalyst for increased participation, stronger development pathways and greater visibility for the sport, ensuring that the benefits extend beyond the tournament itself.
Khoza also encouraged Namibians to play an active role in welcoming international visitors.
“It is very critical to include the public and everyone in Namibia in welcoming visitors to your shores. From 2 October 2027, we will be welcoming everyone to Namibia. We are working with Cricket Namibia and the Government to make sure we host a great World Cup,” he added.
Namibians Encouraged to Register for the Ticket Ballot
With six major matches scheduled in Namibia, Cricket Namibia encourages supporters to register for the official ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 ticket ballot and express their interest in attending the tournament.
Fans can register at tickets.cricketworldcup.com
Cricket Namibia remains committed to working with the ICC, the LOC, the Namibian Government and stakeholders to ensure that Namibia is ready to host a memorable tournament.
Namibia is preparing to welcome the world, showcase its potential and build a lasting legacy for cricket.
Notes to Editors:
How the ballot works:
- Entry into the ticket ballot is free and does not require payment at the point of registration.
- Fans can submit one ballot entry per person, per match, and may enter the ballot for multiple matches across the tournament.
- The ballot is not first-come, first-served, meaning fans have the opportunity to enter at any point during the ballot window without their chances being determined by how early they register.
- Where demand for a fixture exceeds the available ticket allocation, access to purchase tickets will be determined through a randomised ballot process. Successful applicants will be contacted by email with information on how to access the ticket purchasing process.
- Successful and unsuccessful ballot applications will be communicated via the email address that customers share during ballot registration.
Fans must note: No tickets are purchased or paid for during the ballot process.
About the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027. The 14th edition of the tournament will feature 14 teams and 57 matches across 12 venues. It marks the return of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to Africa for the first time since 2003 and Namibia’s first-time hosting matches at the senior tournament.