CRICKET IS COMING TO AFRICA!

Photos: BackpagePix | Independent Media By: ZAAHIER ADAMS

“FEEL IT, IT IS HERE”

South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia are set to host the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.

THE ICC Cricket World Cup is coming to Africa in 2027. It will be 24 years since the continent last hosted cricket’s global showpiece in 2003 when South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya welcomed the world.

The Proteas Men’s team enter Newlands Stadium at the 2003 ICC World Cup opening ceremony.

On this occasion South Africa and Zimbabwe will be joined by cricket’s new love child Namibia. It will be a truly continental showpiece with Cricket SA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki promising to deliver a “beautiful African World Cup”, particularly due to the country’s strength of previously hosting major events such as the 2010 Fifa World Cup and the Rugby World Cup in 1995.

“We are very excited. It is very important because we have this goal of growing cricket in Africa and we see ourselves as a big brother to both Namibia and Zimbabwe. It was key that we pulled them along and basically turned it into an African tournament and share the occasion with them. It is extremely important for the continent,” Moseki said.

“We are a sports mad nation and every time we want to host an event we want to put our best foot forward. We will deliver a truly African World Cup and we will host a multitude of people from around the world and they will be excited and leave inspired. We want to deliver a beautiful African World Cup,” Moseki said.

South African Airways’ new airbus flies over Newlands cricket ground during the South Africa’s World Cup match against the West Indies.

It certainly is a major boost for Cricket SA after two years of enduring a major crisis both on and off the field. However, there seems to be a major turnaround in the last couple of months, that despite the Proteas’ Men’s team not qualifying for the knockout stages, they managed to win four of five matches at the recently concluded ICC T2O World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

There is also something major for cricket fans to look forward to with great anticipation. The benefits of hosting the Men’s Cricket World Cup goes beyond watching the best cricketers on the planet on home soil, but it will be a major economic boost for the country’s GDP.

Lungi Ngidi, the Proteas’ superstar bowler poses with traditional dancers during the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy tour at Mandela House in Johannesburg.

“This is great news for cricket in South Africa and indeed the entire African continent. CSA had submitted a compelling bid for the Men’s World Cup to return to our shores and for Africa to again enjoy the sporting, social and economic benefits of hosting this prestigious world cricket event,” CSA Board Chairperson Lawson Naidoo said.

“We are delighted that through this tournament the world will get a view of the abundance of talent that abounds in this beautiful part of the world.”