They’re older, they’ve barely played together since winning the 2023 World Cup, and their combined age at the next tournament will be close to 110. Cricket Australia is backing them anyway, and the reasoning is sound. When fit, no pace trio in world cricket matches what Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood bring to a 50-over campaign. The 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia is their final shot at a second title together, and the entire selection strategy is being built around getting them there healthy.
The 2023 Blueprint Still Holds
Forty-seven wickets. That’s what the trio delivered across the 2023 World Cup in India, ending with their combined new-ball aggression dismantling India’s top order in front of 90,000 in Ahmedabad. No pace attack in the tournament came close.
Starc then retired from T20 internationals in September 2025, specifically to extend his Test and ODI career with 2027 in mind. He went on to take 31 wickets in the 2025–26 Ashes and won the Compton-Miller Medal, his pace and swing as sharp as ever. When Cummins is fit, he’s among the best bowlers on the planet across any format. Hazlewood’s ODI economy of ~4.8 remains unrivalled inside the Australian system. The 2023 blueprint didn’t expire with the trophy ceremony.
Australia pace trio ODI World Cup 2027, Fitness Tracker
Bowler | ODIs Since Jan 2024 | Career ODI Economy | Key Injuries (2024–26) | WC 2027 Status |
Pat Cummins | 2 of last 22 | ~5.1 | Ankle (BGT 24–25), Back (Dec 25–May 26) | Confirmed |
Mitchell Starc | ~8–10 | ~5.1 | Shoulder and elbow (Jan–May 26) | Confirmed |
~10–12 | ~4.8 | Hip (CT 2025), Hamstring and Achilles (Ashes 25–26) | Confirmed |
Since the November 2023 World Cup win, the trio have played a combined 22 ODIs and shared the field just once, in November 2024 against Pakistan. Head coach Andrew McDonald has been direct about why: “This is the last significant break we get to invest into their bodies to set themselves up to get all the way through to 2027.”
What Happens Without Them
Australia’s record without the trio isn’t a hypothetical; it’s recent history. They lost the Sri Lanka ODI series 0–2 before the 2025 Champions Trophy, then exited that tournament with a pace attack of Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, and Spencer Johnson, who had a combined 37 ODIs between them at the time.
The last occasion all three were absent from an ICC ODI tournament was the 2013 Champions Trophy. Without them, Australia’s bowling structure flattens badly. Adam Zampa carries an unfair burden, the middle overs become vulnerable, and no young bowler has yet made the case that he’s ready to fill the void.
Cameron Green as the Insurance Policy
McDonald has publicly identified Cameron Green as the most credible contingency. The 26-year-old all-rounder, who struck a century off 47 balls against South Africa in August 2025, has resumed bowling after back surgery. McDonald believes “he has a big part to play with the ball as well.” Green’s right-arm medium-pace alongside his batting at No. 4 or 5 makes him the ideal fifth-bowler buffer, and a genuine first-choice substitute if any of the trio breaks down before the tournament.
Xavier Bartlett took 4 for 17 and 4 for 21 on his ODI debut against West Indies in January 2024, and one analyst called him “perhaps the best all-format option going forward” as recently as September 2025. But going forward isn’t ready now. Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson offer depth, not solutions. None of the three carries the international volume required for a World Cup campaign.
The Gamble Is Their Fitness, Not Their Ability
McDonald put it plainly in May 2026: “We have done this before in 2023. The biggest difference is that 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.” That’s the honest summary. Australia isn’t selecting Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood out of nostalgia. They’re selecting them because nothing in their system gets close. The full-strength squad is expected to regroup from the Zimbabwe and South Africa ODI tour in September 2026, and if all three arrive fit, the Australia pace trio’s ODI World Cup 2027 campaign starts as the most feared bowling attack in the tournament.
Is there a young Australian pace bowler ready to push any of the trio out of the 2027 squad? Drop your pick in the comments.
FAQs
Will Pat Cummins play in the 2027 ODI World Cup?
Cummins is confirmed as Australia’s ODI captain for 2027, per coach McDonald in May 2026. He played just two ODIs since the 2023 tournament, but McDonald was clear: “We are planning for them to be there in 2027.”
Why are Starc and Hazlewood rested for the Pakistan tour 2026?
Cricket Australia made a deliberate workload call after both managed injuries through IPL 2026. McDonald confirmed this window is “the last significant break” before the 2026–27 schedule leading into the World Cup.
Who are Australia’s frontline fast bowlers for 2027?
The confirmed trio is Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood, with Cameron Green as the primary support option. Bartlett, Ellis, and Johnson offer depth, but none has made a first-choice case yet.
How old will Mitchell Starc be at the 2027 World Cup?
Starc, born January 30, 1990, will be 37 at the start of the 2027 tournament. He retired from T20 internationals in September 2025 specifically to extend his ODI and Test career into this cycle.
What happened when Australia played without the trio at CT 2025?
Australia exited the 2025 Champions Trophy with Dwarshuis, Ellis, and Johnson — a combined 37 ODIs between them. It confirmed that no current Australian bowler is ready to replace any member of the trio.