There has been a strong reaction to Pat Cummins' likely absence from the rapidly approaching Ashes series, particularly out of England.
The typically durable skipper has been laid low by a back injury that has him in major doubt for the first Test in Perth, starting November 21, and some chance of missing the entire series.
Australia has enjoyed a wildly successful period under 32-year-old Cummins' leadership, winning a One-Day World Cup, a World Test Championship and extending the country's grip on the Ashes urn which has been in Aussie hands since 2017.
Cummins' absence would force a reshuffle of the Aussie side, with vice-captain Steve Smith expected to lead the team and Scott Boland would come in as a replacement fast bowler.
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There would also be more pressure on the lower order as Cummins is renowned for crucial runs and is a far more accomplished batter than Nathan Lyon, Boland or Josh Hazlewood.
Since winning the Ashes in Australia in 2010, England has a dreadful record Down Under, losing 13 and drawing two of the 15 Tests since then.
Former England skipper Michael Atherton feels Cummins' absence would be an enormous boost to the tourists' chances.
“That combination of nerve, competitiveness and coolness under pressure - his character, in other words - is what has made him a highly effective captain,” Atherton wrote of Cummins in his column for The Times.
“Should he be missing in Perth, it would unquestionably be bad for the series and bad for Australia, but give a huge lift to an England team looking to win their first Test - never mind series - in the country for more than a decade.”
Fellow former captain of the Poms Michael Vaughan took a similar tone on X when he tweeted: "Pat Cummins being ruled out of the first Ashes Test and potentially the series is a huge blow to the Aussies.
"England now have an incredible chance to get back the Urn."
After the opening Test in Perth, the series shifts to Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.