Australia coach Andrew McDonald has pushed the International Cricket Council to allow 17-player squads for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup.
His reasoning is tied to the expanded tournament format, which could see finalists play as many as 15 matches, up from 11 at the 2023 edition.
McDonald warned that sticking with the current 15-player squad limit risked making the tournament attritional given the added match load.
He referenced the 2023 World Cup, where Australia’s squad flexibility was limited after an injury to Travis Head.
Australia also face a punishing lead-up to the tournament, with up to 21 Test matches scheduled in the preceding 14 months, including five-Test series against India and England.
With senior pace bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all past 30 and carrying injury histories, squad depth remains a key concern for the coaching staff.
The 2027 World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will feature 14 teams, a Super Series round before the group stage, and a Super 7 round ahead of the semi-finals.
The new tournament structure includes a Super Series round before the group stages, followed by a Super 7 round ahead of the semi-finals, extending the overall length and physical demands of the event compared to previous editions.
McDonald’s push for larger squads comes as several cricket boards have separately raised concerns about player workload amid an increasingly packed international calendar spanning bilateral series, multi-team tournaments and franchise leagues.
Australia’s pace attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc has been central to the team’s success across formats in recent years, making their fitness and workload management a recurring talking point for the team management.
The 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and will feature 14 teams, expanded from the 10-team format used at the 2023 edition held in India.
(Image: “Andrew McDonald during an Australia practice session at the MCG” by DustyNail, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
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