Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has called on the International Cricket Council to increase squad sizes for the expanded 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. With the tournament set to feature more teams and a longer schedule, McDonald believes countries should be allowed to bring additional players to better handle injuries and adapt to changing playing conditions.

The 2027 World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will feature 14 teams. The ICC has also introduced a revised tournament format that includes a Super Series before the group stage and a Super 7 phase ahead of the semifinals.

Compared to the 2023 edition, the new structure means teams that reach the final could play at least 13 matches. That number could rise to 15 depending on qualification through the Super Series.

McDonald highlights injury concerns

Australia have repeatedly dealt with injury setbacks during recent ICC tournaments, including the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups and the 2022, 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups. McDonald believes the current 15-player limit is no longer suitable for a tournament of this length.

“One of the big things from my perspective is if it is going to be your pinnacle event, what do your squad sizes look like?” McDonald said.

“We had the dilemma of what it looked like having a 15-player squad for the last World Cup, and I think New Zealand were in the same boat where we had a couple of injuries, Travis Head been the most notable one, and I think Kane Williamson and a couple of others for New Zealand, where you end up with sort of 12-13 players to select from early on in your tournament, and you are trying to carry those other players through the early rounds, and you are not able to play potentially the way that you want to play, or structure up the way that you think you need to, and in particular in countries where you in the north or the south or the east or the west, the conditions change quite significantly,” he added.

Lessons from Australia’s 2023 campaign

Australia experienced those challenges first-hand during the 2023 World Cup when Travis Head missed the early stages because of a finger injury. Rather than replacing him, Australia kept him in the squad and played several matches with fewer fully fit players.

The decision eventually paid off. Head returned to score a century against New Zealand before producing match-winning performances in both the semifinal against South Africa and the final against India, where his century helped Australia lift the trophy.

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Packed schedule increases workload

Australia’s coaching staff are also mindful of the demanding calendar leading into the 2027 tournament. The team is expected to play around 20 to 21 Test matches across a 14-month period, including five-Test series against India and England.

Several key players, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, have managed injury issues in recent seasons. Others such as Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey will also be crucial to Australia’s World Cup plans.

FIFA example cited in ICC appeal

McDonald pointed to the expanded 26-player squads used during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, suggesting cricket should also allow larger travelling parties. He believes increasing World Cup squads from 15 to 17 players would help teams manage injuries while ensuring the strongest players remain available throughout the tournament.

“My push within it, any time you are playing more games in the same period of time, you do not want it to be attritional,” McDonald said. “You want the best players to be available. So, there should be a conversation around – yep, that is great, you have landed at that, okay, what about the squad sizes?” he added. 

“This is going to be a pinnacle event. I think there is an argument to say, great, you have put more games in front of us, give us larger squads, allow us to play the way that we need to play within those conditions, and then also you have got the ability to carry those potential stars of the game that are under injury clouds leading in because the cricket leading into the World Cup is demanding, so you are going to have some people that potentially are 50-50 at that point in time.”

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“So let us carry the best players in there. Give us larger squads to be able to navigate through the early part, and then hopefully the pinnacle event has the best players playing, rather than being ruled out early on due to injury and the attritional nature of a World Cup,” he signed off.

FAQs

Why does Andrew McDonald want larger World Cup squads?

McDonald believes bigger squads will help teams manage injuries, player workloads and changing conditions during the expanded 2027 Cricket World Cup.

How many teams will play in the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup?

The 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup will feature 14 teams and a new tournament format with additional matches before the knockout stage.