Bangladesh face World Cup minefield, Super Seven in sight

Bangladesh’s route to the Super Seven at the 2027 One Day International World Cup promises to be a formidable challenge, with England, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka awaiting them in Group B.

Litton Das’s side will also face a qualifier, but reaching the main tournament will offer little respite. Bangladesh are likely to need at least three victories from their five group matches to remain in contention for the next stage.

South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia will jointly host the tournament, which the ICC expanded from 10 to 14 teams. The decision to award hosting rights to the three African nations was announced in November 2021.

Under the revised format announced on 22 July, three teams emerging from the qualifying competition will contest a Super Series. The second, third and fourth-placed sides from the qualifiers will compete for one remaining place in the main group stage.

The 12-team main draw will feature two groups of six, with each side playing five matches. The top three from each group will progress directly to the Super Seven, joined by the next best team across the two groups.

All seven teams will then face one another, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals.

The ICC has now confirmed the groups and fixtures after finalising 12 venues on 31 July. The tournament will begin with the Super Series on 2 October next year, while the group stage will run until 24 October. The Super Seven begins the following day.

Bangladesh have been placed in Group B alongside England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Qualifier B. Group A features defending champions Australia, runners-up India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Qualifier A.

The rankings underline Bangladesh’s challenge, with all four confirmed opponents in their group placed above them in the ODI standings.

The fixture list adds another layer of difficulty. Bangladesh will play five matches across four venues in two countries within 15 days, involving substantial travel between games.

Their campaign begins against England in Windhoek, Namibia, on 8 October. The team will then travel approximately 1,117 kilometres to Buffalo Park in South Africa for their 13 October clash with New Zealand.

A further journey of around 660 kilometres will take them to Durban, where they face Sri Lanka on 16 October and hosts South Africa on 19 October at Kingsmead.

Bangladesh will conclude their group campaign against Qualifier B at Buffalo Park on 23 October, requiring another journey of approximately 604 kilometres from Durban.

The demanding schedule means recovery and travel management could prove as important as performances on the field, particularly after two matches in Durban within three days.

Bangladesh will need to target at least three wins to keep their Super Seven hopes alive. Their previous World Cup campaign in South Africa, in 2003, remains a reminder of the difficulties of playing on the continent, where they failed to win a match and suffered defeats against Canada and Kenya.

The tournament will open with a blockbuster clash between Australia and India at Newlands, Cape Town, on 7 October. India and Pakistan will renew their rivalry three days later at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

The Super Seven concludes before the semi-finals, with the first scheduled for 17 November in Cape Town and the second on 18 November in Centurion. The final will be held at the Wanderers on 21 November, with reserve days allocated for both semi-finals and the final.

The Wanderers and Windhoek will each host six matches, including the final in Johannesburg. Durban and Newlands will stage five apiece, while Centurion, Bloemfontein and Gqeberha are also scheduled to host five matches each.

Buffalo Park and Paarl will stage four matches apiece. Zimbabwe’s Harare and Victoria Falls will also host four each, while Bulawayo is scheduled to stage two.