Hosting the Cricket World Cup and Its Implications for Cricket and Politics in Zimbabwe: Will History Repeat Itself?

Zimbabwe will co-host the Cricket World Cup in 2027 for a second time. The last time Zimbabwe hosted the tournament, it was overshadowed by political developments like the controversial fast track land reform programme and the disputed 2002 presidential elections. The opposition took advantage of the World Cup to express their political grievances, whilst the ruling ZANU PF government responded with a heavy-handed approach. The 2003 tournament is remembered for the black armed protest against the ZANU PF government by two cricketers Henry Olonga and Andy Flower. This resulted in the increased pollicisation of Zimbabwean cricket which had a negative impact on the game. The 2027 World Cup will be held in a different but highly charged political environment, following the disputed 2023 elections and attempts by the ZANU PF government to amend the constitution and extend the presidential and parliamentary terms to 2030. These political developments coupled with the politicized nature of Zimbabwean cricket create the ideal conditions for the politicization of the 2027 Cricket World Cup, which has implications for the hosting of the Cricket World Cup in politically volatile contexts.