Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has urged the International Cricket Council to increase squad sizes to 17 players for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup.
McDonald’s argument centres on the expanded tournament format, under which finalists could play up to 15 matches, compared with 11 at the 2023 edition.
He warned that keeping squads at the current 15-player limit could lead to attritional tournaments given the increased number of matches on offer.
McDonald pointed to the 2023 World Cup, where an injury to Travis Head had limited Australia’s squad flexibility during the tournament.
Australia’s concerns are heightened further by a demanding schedule in the 14 months leading into the tournament, which includes up to 21 Test matches, among them five-Test tours of India and England.
Key fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are all over 30 and have significant injury histories, making squad depth and flexibility a priority for the team management.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, featuring 14 teams along with a new Super Series round before the group stages and a Super 7 round ahead of the semi-finals.
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.
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.
(Image: “Andrew McDonald during an Australia practice session at the MCG” by DustyNail, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
