Sports: Cricket Australia (CA) has extended head coach Andrew McDonald until the 2027 ODI World Cup. His earlier contract at the helm was set to end after the T20 World Cup in 2026. However, he will now be with the team through its defence of the ODI World Cup and the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle as well.

For the unversed, McDonald had taken over the job from Justin Langer in 2022. If he would've stepped away from the team in 2026 as per the earlier deal, the new coach would've taken over at a tough time with Australia set to play a lot of cricket in 2027. After the contract extension, McDonald expressed his delight and at the same time, he understands the challenges international cricket will throw at him.

"I am very fortunate to have an exceptional group of leaders, players, coaches and staff who are fully invested in the ongoing well-being, success and development of this group. The professionalism, commitment and experience of my fellow coaches and the wider staff have ensured the journey has been extremely successful but just as importantly created a culture of unity, trust and inclusivity.

"International cricket has many challenges for all teams and I am particularly proud how the group, players and staff, across all formats have navigated those together," McDonald said.

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley also praised McDonald for his contribution as the head coach of the team after extending his contract. "Andrew has proven to be an outstanding men's head coach who as well as delivering exceptional results has built a strong coaching team, methodology and an excellent environment for the team to perform at its best. We are delighted to extend his tenure for a further two years," Hockley said.