Proteas’ road to World Cup knockouts

The Proteas now know exactly what lies between them and a place in the knockout stages of the 2027 Cricket World Cup on home soil.

South Africa have been drawn in Group B alongside New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Qualifier B, with their campaign beginning against the Black Caps at Newlands in Cape Town on 9 October.

They will then face Qualifier B in Paarl on 13 October before travelling to Gqeberha to take on England three days later.

Bangladesh await in Durban on 19 October, with the Proteas closing out the group stage against Sri Lanka in Johannesburg on 22 October.

Proteas group fixtures

9 October: New Zealand – Newlands, Cape Town
13 October: Qualifier B – Paarl
16 October: England – Gqeberha
19 October: Bangladesh – Durban
22 October: Sri Lanka – Johannesburg

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The top three teams from each six-team group will qualify automatically for the Super 7, while the better of the two fourth-placed teams will claim the final place.

Unlike some previous World Cup formats, however, there will be no reward carried over from the opening phase.

All seven qualifiers will begin the Super 7 on zero points and play each of the other six teams once, making it effectively a fresh tournament in the race for the semi-finals.

South Africa have been pre-seeded as B2. If the currently seeded teams all progress, their Super 7 campaign would begin against England in Tshwane on 27 October.

That would be followed by a blockbuster clash against India at the Wanderers on 31 October, Pakistan in Durban on 3 November and Sri Lanka in Bloemfontein on 6 November.

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The Proteas would then face Australia in Gqeberha on 9 November before returning to Cape Town for another meeting with New Zealand on 12 November.

Potential Proteas Super 7 fixtures

27 October: England – Tshwane
31 October: India – Johannesburg
3 November: Pakistan – Durban
6 November: Sri Lanka – Bloemfontein
9 November: Australia – Gqeberha
12 November: New Zealand – Cape Town

Those opponents are not completely guaranteed, as any unseeded team that qualifies at the expense of a pre-seeded side will take over that team’s designated position in the Super 7 schedule.

From there, South Africa’s equation is simple: finish among the top four in the seven-team standings and they will reach the World Cup semi-finals.

The team finishing first will face fourth, while second will meet third. The semi-finals will be staged in Cape Town on 17 November and Tshwane on 18 November.

The final will take place at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 21 November.

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Should the Proteas go all the way, they would play 13 matches in total: five in the group stage, six in the Super 7, a semi-final and the final.

Photo: Gerhard Duraan/Gallo Images

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