Pakistan

Pakistan at CWC 2027

Pakistan are in Group A with India, Australia, Afghanistan, co-hosts Zimbabwe and one qualifier yet to be confirmed. All five of their group matches are day games.

Date	Opponent	Venue	Start (local)
Fri 8 Oct	Afghanistan	SuperSport Park, Centurion	10:00
Sun 10 Oct	India	Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg	10:00
Fri 15 Oct	Group A qualifier (TBC)	Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein	10:00
Tue 19 Oct	Zimbabwe	Harare Sports Club	10:00
Fri 22 Oct	Australia	Boland Park, Paarl	10:00

The opener against Afghanistan is no gentle start, given how that fixture went at the 2023 tournament. Two days later comes the match many neutrals circle first: India on a Sunday at the Wanderers, one of the most intimidating venues in world cricket. The group ends with Australia in Paarl.

World Cup history

Pakistan’s defining World Cup moment remains 1992 in Australia and New Zealand, when a side that had looked in danger of an early exit recovered to beat England in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They returned to the final in 1999 but lost to Australia at Lord’s. Pakistan have a reputation as one of the game’s most unpredictable teams, capable of turning a tournament around from an unpromising position, which is part of their appeal for supporters and neutrals alike.

Conditions in southern Africa

Pakistan have long produced fast bowlers who relish pace and bounce, and the Highveld venues at Centurion, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, all at altitude, could reward that tradition. Early starts may also offer some seam movement in the first hour. The flip side is that the ball tends to fly to the boundary in thin air, which places a premium on disciplined lines. Harare and Paarl may play slightly differently, so adaptability across five very different grounds could matter.

Travelling fans

There is a sizeable Pakistani community across southern Africa, and diaspora fans from the UK and the Gulf are also likely to make the trip. From Pakistan, the usual routes connect through Gulf hubs such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, or through Addis Ababa. The host countries run on UTC+2, three hours behind Pakistan Standard Time, so a 10:00 start is 13:00 in Lahore or Karachi.

Entry requirements for South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia are set by each country and can change, so check the official government immigration websites early and allow plenty of time for any applications. Our visa guide is a good place to start, and the tickets guide covers how to buy, particularly for the high-demand India fixture.