Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has called for squads of 17 players at the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, citing the demands of the expanded format.
Under the new structure, finalists could play up to 15 matches, compared with 11 in the 2023 tournament, prompting McDonald’s push for larger squads.
He said keeping the squad limit at 15 could result in an attritional tournament given the increased number of games.
McDonald cited Australia’s experience at the 2023 World Cup, when an injury to Travis Head reduced the side’s squad flexibility.
The team also faces a heavy schedule before the tournament, including up to 21 Test matches over 14 months, featuring five-Test tours of India and England.
With fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all over 30 and carrying injury concerns, squad depth has become a priority.
The 2027 edition will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, expanding to 14 teams with a new Super Series round and a Super 7 stage before the semi-finals.
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.
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.
(Image: “Andrew McDonald during an Australia practice session at the MCG” by DustyNail, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
