Sports
McDonald seeks 17-player squads for 2027 ODI World Cup
Andrew McDonald is seeking 17-player squads for the 2027 ODI World Cup, pointing to the challenges of the expanded tournament format.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald is seeking 17-player squads for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, citing the challenges of the expanded format.
Under the new format, finalists could play as many as 15 matches, up from 11 at the 2023 edition, forming the basis of McDonald’s request.
He said a squad limit of 15 could lead to an attritional tournament given the greater number of matches.
McDonald referred to the 2023 World Cup, when an injury to Travis Head had reduced Australia’s squad flexibility.
The team also faces a heavy schedule ahead of the tournament, including up to 21 Test matches over 14 months, with five-Test tours of India and England among them.
With key bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all over 30 and carrying injury histories, squad depth remains a significant concern.
The 2027 World Cup 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.
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)