Australia’s McDonald wants World Cup squads raised to 17

Australia coach Andrew McDonald wants squad sizes raised to 17 players for the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup.

His call stems from the expanded tournament format, under which finalists could play up to 15 matches compared with 11 in 2023.

McDonald said the current 15-player limit risked making the tournament attritional given the additional matches.

He cited the 2023 World Cup, where an injury to Travis Head had reduced Australia’s squad options during the tournament.

Australia also face a demanding lead-up to the event, including up to 21 Test matches over 14 months, featuring five-Test series against India and England.

With senior pacers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all over 30 and carrying injury histories, squad depth has become a priority for the team.

The 2027 World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will expand to 14 teams and add a Super Series round and a Super 7 stage before the semi-finals.

The debate over squad sizes reflects a wider shift in how national teams are planning for tournaments that pack in more matches over a shorter, more congested window than earlier editions.

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)