Australia managing Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood with 2027 World Cup in mind

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has said the team management is carefully managing the workloads of pace trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood with the long-term goal of keeping them fit for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.

None of the three senior fast bowlers have been included in Australia’s upcoming white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh, despite all of them being available for selection. McDonald explained that the decision was taken keeping Australia’s packed Test calendar in mind and to give the bowlers time to recover physically.

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“I think people look at the immediate games and go, ‘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 are planning for them to be there in 2027”.

McDonald admitted that managing the trio over the next two years will be challenging, especially with all three entering the later stages of their careers. Cummins is currently 33, Hazlewood 35 and Starc 36.

“I think there needs to be a lot of trust in what we’re doing to be able to get them there. It’s going to be a significant challenge, in particular for our fantastic (sports science and medical) team, they’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 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 added.

All three bowlers featured in IPL 2026, although each dealt with fitness issues during the tournament. Starc’s workload was monitored closely by Cricket Australia, Cummins returned after recovering from a back stress injury, while Hazlewood battled hamstring and Achilles problems.

McDonald pointed out that Australia had successfully managed a similar situation before the 2023 ODI World Cup. “We have done this before also in 2023,” McDonald said. “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?”
McDonald also confirmed that Mitchell Marsh, who has been leading the ODI side in Cummins’ absence, will step aside once the captain returns.

“They’re working together, so Pat’s invested in the one-day team…we choose not to play him for the benefit of his body,” McDonald said.

The coach also revealed that Australia are open to discussing a possible ODI return for hard-hitting batter Tim David, especially after Glenn Maxwell retired from the format in 2025.

“It is something we’re looking at,” McDonald said. “Tim hasn’t made himself available for ODI cricket as yet in amongst everything that he’s doing. But open-minded that potentially that is a conversation down the track.”