Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to increase World Cup squad sizes from 15 to 17 players for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The move comes after the ICC introduced a new format that could see finalists play up to 15 matches, making the tournament longer and more physically demanding.
McDonald believes larger squads would help teams deal with injuries and changing playing conditions, especially after Australia and New Zealand struggled with injured players during the 2023 World Cup.
Players like Travis Head and Kane Williamson missed matches through injury, leaving teams with limited selection options, McDonald noted. "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? We had the dilemma of what it looked like having a 15-player squad for the last World Cup," he said.
McDonald also questioned the new format, saying Associate nations may have fewer opportunities despite their recent growth in white-ball cricket. "It's an interesting structure to a tournament. I think the Associate nations have probably been penalised a little bit in that," he added.
The current format has been widely discussed, with many teams facing the challenge of maintaining a competitive lineup despite the increased number of matches. McDonald's call for larger squads aims to address this issue and ensure that the biggest stars remain available throughout the tournament.
McDonald pointed out that teams need to be able to navigate through the early part of the tournament with a full squad, and that larger squads would give them the best chance of success. "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 further noted.
The ICC is yet to respond to McDonald's proposal, but it is clear that the issue of squad sizes will be a major topic of discussion in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup. The tournament is still two years away, but teams and players are already preparing for the challenges that lie ahead.
Source: Yahoo Sports
