Australia coach McDonald backs Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood for 2027 WC
Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald backs the pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to play the 2027 ODI World Cup, but admitted that Cricket Australia (CA) need to invest in their bodies to set the star pacers up for 2027.
Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood were among the major omissions from Australia's ODI squads for the white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh, scheduled from May 30 to June 21. All three had missed the first half of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) due to separate injury concerns.
While Cummins and Hazlewood are set to feature in the IPL playoffs, which clash with the beginning of the Pakistan tour, none of the three will take part in the ODI matches in June after the IPL concludes, and Cummins and Hazlewood will also sit out the T20I series against Bangladesh.
McDonald said the decision not to play the Pacers in the series is focused on long-term planning for the 2027 season, explaining that while fans may question their absence in immediate games, this break is necessary to manage workloads and prepare the players physically to stay fit and available through to 2027.
"I think people look at the immediate games and go, 'Well, why aren't they playing there?' But if you actually work back from 2027 and look at what we've got coming up, this is the last significant break that we get to invest into their bodies to set themselves up to get all the way through to 2027. We are planning for them to be there in 2027," said McDonald.
However, ensuring all three star pacers are fully fit and firing for the WC next year will be a huge challenge. By then, Starc and Hazlewood will be nearing 38 and 37 years of age, respectively, while Pat Cummins will be 34.
McDonald said there is a misconception that players are selectively choosing which series to play, clarifying that such decisions are actually made based on workload management and the demands of the upcoming schedule, not individual preference.
"I think there's almost a misconception that the players are sort of picking and choosing as to where they play and which series they play in. These decisions are made around the management of what is coming up with in the schedule - and they don't choose that. We work with them on it ... those players want to play. We just don't feel like it's the best time for them to play," he said.
McDonald said the team is getting older, which will bring new workload-management challenges. He noted that while many players have been very durable, recent injuries highlight the need for careful planning and greater investment in player fitness and recovery.
"We are getting older, so that's going to create some different management challenges. They've been incredibly robust, a lot of those players, and a few have had a few recent (injury) pickups, so it's something that we need to invest a lot of time into," he said.
Australia do not have any international fixtures between June 21 and August 13, after which they begin a demanding 12-month schedule featuring 20 Tests -- potentially 21 if they qualify for the World Test Championship final -- along with nine ODIs and five T20Is ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, set to start in October 2027.
McDonald said the team has managed similar planning cycles before, especially in 2023, which saw Australia contend with Test tours of India and England, a WTC final and an ODI World Cup. However, McDonald said the main challenge now is age and workload, as the squad is four years older. He added that the key priority is keeping players, especially fast bowlers, fit and healthy through a demanding schedule.
He said, "We have done this before also in 2023. The biggest difference is we're four years older. I think we're well placed if we're fit and healthy. And that's going to be the biggest challenge. How do we get the players through that demand? How do we manage them, in particular our fast bowlers?"
