Steve Harmison calls for major World Cup rule change on eve of tournament
Steve Harmison has urged the ICC to allow teams to name more players in their World Cup squads, criticising the current limit of just 15.
England, for example, took the tough decision to drop opener Jason Roy in order to fit Harry Brook into their squad, with national selector Luke Wright saying: "It's incredibly hard on some players that are going to miss out. With the balance of the squad, and with only fifteen that you can name it's incredibly tough."
And Harmison believes teams should have been allowed to pick at least 18 players in their squad, with each side set to play a minimum of nine matches across ten different stadiums spread the length and breadth of India. England, for example, will play their nine group games at eight different stadiums.
As a result, they are set for some gruelling travel days in between matches, with the squad set to travel a total of around 10,080km between their first and last group game. And Harmison expects England will have to use more than 15 players during the tournament, with teams permitted to call on reserves if someone is ruled out through injury.
"You can only get 15 men in a squad and that, for me, I can't understand," Harmison said, speaking exclusively to Mirror Sport on behalf of OnlineCricketBetting. "England have got nine games in eight different venues with internal flights, hotels and everything that goes with it. England are going to need more than 15.
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"You look at England's fast bowlers and two that spring out when you see the 15 names are Mark Wood and Reece Topley, two bowlers who have struggled from an injury point of view in the past. Eight different venues before the knockout stages, that's eight different plane journeys and the internal flights are not exactly business classes in India!
"It is gruelling from a fast bowler's point of view and that's why I don't think a 15-man squad is enough. I think it should have been 18, possibly 20. I know that plays into the hands of the big boys, but from a fast bowler's point of view I think England are going to use more.
"England play New Zealand in Ahmedabad in the first game where it'll be red-hot, mid to late 30s and then they go to Dharamsala which is going to be 20 degrees cooler in the mountains five days later.
England's players face a gruelling travel schedule at this year's World Cup (Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)"It's a tough start for England from a venue point of view, but from an opposition point of view once you get the first game (against New Zealand) out of the way, I think Bangladesh and Afghanistan are two nice games for England."
Harmison also suggested England may have to make a bold call and drop vice-captain Moeen Ali for certain games as they look to balance the side. "That will be the big dilemma for Jos (Buttler)," the two-time Ashes winner added.
"There will be times where he's going to have to play a fourth seamer and, if that's the case, it sounds ridiculous but he might have to leave someone like Moeen Ali out. That will be a fine balance for Jos and Matthew Mott to work out, but I think England have got a well-balanced squad.
"Three left-armers, three or four spin options who can get through 20 overs and seamers who can bowl with the new ball and in the middle. It's an interesting conundrum how Jos picks his teams."
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