The next men’s 50-over World Cup, spread across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is now less than two years away. On Tuesday in Cairns, Australia and South Africa meet for their first one-day international since both fell at the Champions Trophy semi-final stage. The occasion feels like a quiet restart rather than a grand relaunch, but the questions it raises could shape each side’s chances of lifting the trophy in late 2027.
Retirements force early reshuffle
Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Heinrich Klaasen have walked away from ODIs – Klaasen from all white-ball cricket – and that alone gives both teams a different look. Australia may be defending champions, yet since that triumphant evening in Ahmedabad they have played few ODIs and even fewer with a full-strength XI. Pat Cummins, still the named captain, has managed only two appearances and is absent again this week.
“We’re trying to balance workloads without losing sight of the format,” coach Andrew McDonald said on Sunday. “That’s harder than it looks.”
Finding a foil for Head
Travis Head should be somewhere near his peak in 2027, but the identity of the other opener remains fluid. Matt Short impressed with a brisk 63 against England at the Champions Trophy, only to pick up a side strain that has healed slowly and rules him out here. Mitchell Marsh, leading the side while Cummins rests, thrived at the top during the last World Cup build-up. His powerful method suits the powerplay, yet his history of ankle and soft-tissue troubles means nothing is guaranteed over a full cycle.
Smith’s retirement has left a permanent vacancy at No. 3 or No. 4. Cameron Green is pencilled in for that job once fully fit. The all-rounder missed the Champions Trophy through injury but, if he stays sound, offers Australia genuine balance. “We see Cam batting in the middle and bowling his ten overs more often than not,” selector George Bailey noted. Green, at 26, could be central for two World Cups, not one.
Bavuma racing the calendar
Across the divide, Temba Bavuma openly admits that his body will decide whether he leads South Africa into a home World Cup. The opener has endured repeated elbow and hamstring problems and turned 35 this year. He played the World Test Championship final and the last ODI World Cup strapping both elbows heavily and, by his own admission, limping through spells in the field.
“It’s never about desire,” Bavuma said last month. “The question is whether the legs still listen.”
For now he remains South Africa’s most reliable ODI batter: his average tops the touring squad and his strike-rate has crept up in the past 18 months. The coaching staff see the next year as a bridge. If Bavuma reaches 2027, he will most likely do so as opener-captain. If not, the transition has to be smooth enough that the top order is settled long before the tournament begins.
Middle-order shape and seam depth
South Africa’s other concern is who fills the engine room. Klaasen’s exit removes a proven finisher against spin. The selectors want at least one left-hander in the middle; Tristan Stubbs has been earmarked, while Tony de Zorzi’s List-A numbers keep him in the conversation. “Someone must own overs 35-50, the way Klaasie used to,” batting consultant Ashwell Prince observed.
Australia, by contrast, appear stocked with all-rounders but light on specialist quicks. Josh Hazlewood is 34 and managing a chronic Achilles issue; Cummins will be 34 at the next World Cup. Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett are viewed as long-term options, yet neither owns an ODI cap. “We need raw pace in African conditions,” McDonald admitted. “The tracks there reward it.”
Time, but not too much time
Two years sound generous, though fixtures are limited. Both boards focus on Test and T20 commitments, so windows for 50-over cricket shrink. That makes every match in Cairns – and in the return series later this season – a live audition.
A rough sketch, then: Australia search for stability at the top and a quick-bowling succession plan; South Africa hope their captain’s body keeps pace with his ambition while grooming a middle-order punch. Plenty can, and will, change, yet the road to 2027 effectively starts here.
