Australia head coach Andrew McDonald urges ICC to increase World Cup squad size after 2027 ODI format expansion

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider expanding squad sizes for the 2027 ODI World Cup, following the governing body’s decision to introduce a new tournament format that will require teams to play more matches.

Earlier this month, the ICC confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, will feature 14 teams. The tournament will include a Super Series before the group stage, followed by a Super 7 phase ahead of the semi-finals.

The revised structure means the eventual champions will have to play at least 13 matches, compared to the 11 games Australia played en route to lifting the 2023 World Cup in India. In some scenarios, a team could even play as many as 15 matches if one of the lower-ranked teams progresses from the Super Series to the final.

McDonald said the increase in the number of matches makes a strong case for expanding squad sizes beyond the current limit of 15 players.

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

The Australian coach recalled the injury concerns his side dealt with during the 2023 World Cup, with Travis Head missing the early part of the tournament, while New Zealand also had to manage the absence of Kane Williamson.

“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’re trying to carry those other players through the early rounds, and you’re 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 continued.

Australia is expected to face a demanding international schedule before the 2027 World Cup, which includes challenging five-Test away series against India and England during the first half of 2027.

Australia coach proposes 17-player squads

With player workloads likely to increase, McDonald suggested that the ICC should consider allowing 17-player squads, pointing out that other major sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, permit significantly larger squads despite requiring fewer matches.

“My push within it, any time you’re playing more games in the same period of time, you don’t want it to be attritional. You want the best players to be available. So, there should be a conversation around – yep, that’s great, you’ve landed at that, okay, what about the squad sizes?,” McDonald said.

“This is going to be a pinnacle event. I think there’s an argument to say, great, you’ve 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’ve 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’re going to have some people that potentially are 50-50 at that point in time.”

“So let’s 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 concluded.

Despite McDonald’s suggestion, the ICC is reportedly expected to retain the 15-player squad limit for the 2027 ODI World Cup, while ensuring every team gets a minimum two-day break between matches to help manage player workload.