Australia coach urges ICC to expand 2027 World Cup squads

With the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on the horizon, a debate over squad sizes has emerged as teams begin their long-term planning for the expanded tournament. Australia's head coach, Andrew McDonald, has publicly called on the International Cricket Council to increase the permitted squad size from 15 to 17 players, citing the event's demanding new format and the need to manage player workloads.

The 2027 tournament, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, will feature 14 teams and introduce additional competitive phases. A new structure includes a preliminary Super Series round for lower-ranked teams and a Super 7 stage before the semifinals. This expansion means the eventual champion could play up to 15 matches, a significant increase from the 11 required to win the 2023 edition.

McDonald argued that the current 15-player limit is insufficient for such a grueling schedule, which packs more games into a similar timeframe as previous World Cups. He pointed to challenges faced during the 2023 tournament, where Australia dealt with injuries to key players like Travis Head. The team was left with only 13 or 14 fit players for selection during the group stage,...