Australia coach backs ageing Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood to play ODI World Cup 2027

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has backed the star Aussie trio of , Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood for the ODI World Cup 2027. McDonald said that the Australian think tank has been managing the trio for the quadrennial event. The trio went missing from the white-ball squads that will tour Bangladesh and Pakistan as doubts and speculations over their future caught the eyeballs. The end of the clashes with the Pakistan ODI series.

“All three speedsters want to play both series but we are looking at the bigger picture with their bodies ageing,” McDonald said. “I think people look at the immediate games and say, ‘Well, why aren’t they playing there?’ ” McDonald said. 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’re planning for them to be there in 2027”.

“There's a perception out there that players are picking and choosing series,” McDonald said. Instead he said it was a management call to give them a rest ahead of what is a gruelling international season starting in the latter part of August.

I think you have to have a lot of faith in what we’re doing to be able to get them there. It’s going to be a big challenge, especially for our fantastic (sports science and medical) team who’ve done a great job over a period of time,” McDonald said.

I think there's almost a misconception that the players are sort of picking and choosing as to where they play and what series they play in. These are decisions that 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 guys want to play. We just don’t think it’s the best time for them to play,” he added.

Citing the example of the World Cup 2023, the Australian head coach said that Australia had a busy international schedule before the tournament but the three pacers played a key role in Australia winning the tournament. We have already done this in 2023 as well. "The biggest difference is we're four years older.

"I think we're very well placed if we are fit and healthy. And that’s going to be the toughest part.” How do we get the players through that demand? How do we manage them, particularly the fast bowlers?

“We’re getting older, and that’s going to create some different management challenges. “A lot of those players have been very durable and some have had some recent (injury) pickups so it’s something that we need to spend a lot of time on.”

The finisher had played all his four ODIs in September 2023 and had confirmed 'no immediate plans' for a return but McDonald said that the management is open to David's return to the ODI side. “We’re thinking about it,” McDonald said. “Tim has not made himself available for ODI cricket as yet, amongst all that he’s doing. But open minded that potentially that is a little way down the track conversation.

“That would be something that TD would need to come to us and say he wants to play one-day international cricket. "We had him in the lead-up to the last World Cup. “We thought TD was a guy who could potentially play in that finishing No 7 role.

"We're going to be out there? Can Tim be a part of that conversation? Maybe but at this stage he is not available for one-day cricket ultimately.