New Delhi: Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to increase the World Cup squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup from 15 players to 17 players. His comments come after the International Cricket Council introduced a new format in which finalists can play up to 15 matches, making matches longer and more physically demanding.McDonald believes a bigger squad will help the squad cope with injuries and changing match conditions, especially after Australia and New Zealand struggled with injured players during the 2023 World Cup.“One of the most important things from my perspective is, if this is going to be your pinnacle event, what does your squad size look like? We struggled at the last World Cup with a squad of 15 players,” McDonald said.He pointed to players such as Travis Head and Kane Williamson missing games due to injuries, leaving the team with limited options.“My driving force is that any time you play more games in the same time period, you don’t want it to be attrition,” he added. “You want your best players to be able to play. So, there should be a conversation – yeah, that’s great, you’ve done that, okay, what about squad size?”McDonald also said a larger squad would help the team manage injuries during a tight international schedule and ensure their biggest stars are available throughout the tournament.“So, let’s go into the tournament with the best players. Let’s have a bigger squad to be able to get through the early stages and then hopefully the pinnacle tournament will be with the best players and not be left out early on because of injuries and the attrition of the World Cup,” he further noted.He also raised doubts about the new format, saying that despite the recent growth in white-ball cricket, opportunities for para-states may diminish.“It’s an interesting structure for the championship. I think the associate countries have probably been punished a little bit in that regard,” he added.
