Quick answer
Pakistan are in Group A with India, Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and a qualifier. They start against Afghanistan on 8 October 2027 in Tshwane, face India on 10 October in Johannesburg, and are pre-seeded as A3 for the Super 7. Shaheen Shah Afridi captains the ODI side and Mike Hesson is head coach.
Pakistan’s World Cup 2027 fixtures
| Date (2027) | Stage | Match | Host city |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 8 Oct | Group A | Pakistan v Afghanistan | Tshwane (Centurion) |
| Sun, 10 Oct | Group A | India v Pakistan | Johannesburg |
| Fri, 15 Oct | Group A | Pakistan v Qualifier A | Bloemfontein |
| Tue, 19 Oct | Group A | Zimbabwe v Pakistan | Harare |
| Fri, 22 Oct | Group A | Australia v Pakistan | Paarl |
| Tue, 26 Oct | Super 7 | B1 (New Zealand) v A3 (Pakistan) | Gqeberha |
| Sat, 30 Oct | Super 7 | A3 (Pakistan) v AB4 (England) | Victoria Falls |
| Wed, 3 Nov | Super 7 | B2 (South Africa) v A3 (Pakistan) | Durban |
| Sun, 7 Nov | Super 7 | A1 (India) v A3 (Pakistan) | Cape Town |
| Wed, 10 Nov | Super 7 | A3 (Pakistan) v B3 (Sri Lanka) | Bloemfontein |
| Sat, 13 Nov | Super 7 | A2 (Australia) v A3 (Pakistan) | Bloemfontein |
Super 7 games are only played if Pakistan qualify. As the A3 seed, they keep these dates if they go through.
Where Pakistan’s ODI team stands
- Captain: Shaheen Shah Afridi leads the ODI side.
- Coach: Mike Hesson, who has said the pool of players needs to be broadened before the World Cup.
- Babar Azam: was left out of the Bangladesh ODI series in 2026 and returned for the home series against Australia after a strong PSL.
- Mohammad Rizwan: was left out of that Australia series, with Shaheen saying the door remained open.
- New faces: uncapped players were brought in through 2026 as the team experimented.
- Context: after a poor 2026 T20 World Cup, the PCB chose not to make a major overhaul.
What Pakistan need to fix
- Middle-overs scoring. Pakistan have often fallen behind the scoring rate in overs 11 to 40.
- A settled top three. Changing openers series to series makes it hard to build.
- Fitness of the fast bowlers. Shaheen, Naseem and company are the reason Pakistan can win in South Africa. They need to arrive fit.
Our take
On paper, South African conditions suit Pakistan more than India’s did in 2023. Pace, bounce and the new ball are Pakistan’s strengths. The problem has been batting depth and tempo. Pakistan won their only World Cup in 1992 with a young, pace-led team in the southern hemisphere. If the batting comes together, 2027 has a similar feel.
Times for fans in Pakistan
All venues use SAST, which is 3 hours behind Pakistan. A 10:00 local start is 1:00 PM PKT; a 13:30 start is 4:30 PM PKT. Official times are still to come. See the full World Cup 2027 schedule and the India vs Pakistan guide.
Frequently asked questions
When is Pakistan’s first match at World Cup 2027?
Against Afghanistan on Friday 8 October 2027 in Tshwane (Centurion).
Who is Pakistan’s ODI captain?
Shaheen Shah Afridi.
When do Pakistan play India at the 2027 World Cup?
Sunday 10 October 2027 at the Wanderers, Johannesburg, and possibly again on 7 November in Cape Town in the Super 7.
How many World Cups have Pakistan won?
One ODI World Cup, in 1992.
Sources we used
- Dawn: New-look Pakistan face Aussies in World Cup build-up
- Dawn: Pool of players needs to be broadened, says Hesson
- Geo Super: PCB decides against major overhaul
- ICC: Fixture schedule announced for Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027
About this guide. Written by the T20 Cricinfo desk. Every date, venue and number on this page is checked against the ICC’s own announcements first, then major cricket media. When the ICC changes anything, we update this page and the date below.
Last updated: 8 November 2026.
