Australia head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on Monday that the team is building its 2027 ODI World Cup title defence around Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, even as the pace trio sits out the upcoming 50-over tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh. McDonald said the absences are a deliberate workload management call, not player-driven choices, with the long road to 2027 firmly in view.

Why the Trio Is Being Rested

Cummins and Hazlewood are set to feature in the IPL 2026 playoffs — for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru respectively — while Starc has already returned home after Delhi Capitals' campaign concluded. McDonald was emphatic that this is the last meaningful window to invest in the fast bowlers' bodies before the schedule tightens ahead of the World Cup.

'I think people look at the immediate games and go, 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,' McDonald told reporters.

Cummins' Captaincy and Injury Concerns

Although Mitchell Marsh serves as stand-in ODI captain, Cummins remains Australia's first-choice 50-over skipper. He has played just two ODIs since Australia's 2023 Men's ODI World Cup triumph and has not featured in a T20I since June 2024. A recent back injury has added urgency to his management plan.

'Pat's still invested in the one-day team. It is just that we choose not to play him for the benefit of his body, and even on the back of what recently happened around his back injury, we know that that probably surprised us,' McDonald said.

The Age Factor and Management Challenge

The three quicks combined for 47 wickets in Australia's 2023 World Cup victory but have not played an ODI together since November 2024. McDonald acknowledged that the quartet is four years older than when they last executed this build-up cycle ahead of the 2023 title run.

'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,' he said, adding that the sports science and medical team faces 'incredible complexities' in getting the group to the tournament intact.

Cameron Green's Opportunity

McDonald flagged all-rounder Cameron Green as a key beneficiary of the senior players' absence, noting his versatility with bat and ball. Green impressed during last year's Top End series against South Africa, where he finished an innings in the absence of Glenn Maxwell.

'He does have some power… I feel like he has a big part to play with the ball as well. The more bowling he gets under his belt, there's improvement there,' McDonald said, pointing to Green's returning white-ball skills following surgery and a strong IPL 2026 campaign.

What's Next

Australia's tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh will give fringe players a genuine shot at cementing ODI spots, while the coaching staff monitors the pace trio's fitness closely. With 2027 in South Africa still two years away, McDonald's message was clear: short-term absences are the price of a long-term plan.