Australia’s Ashes defence has been dealt an early blow with confirmation that captain Pat Cummins will miss the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand and India.
A lower-back problem, revealed after scans showed “a level of lumbar bone stress”, has forced Cricket Australia to pull the 32-year-old from action.
The issue, while not labelled a stress fracture, has sparked real concern given it mirrors the setbacks that derailed Cummins’ early international career. He bowled nearly 100 overs across Tests in the UK and Caribbean during the winter, before the pain returned.
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‘Further management’ ahead of Ashes
“Cummins won’t be considered for the upcoming limited-overs series against India (or New Zealand) and will continue his rehabilitation plan with a return to bowling to be determined as part of his Ashes preparation,” Cricket Australia confirmed in a statement.
Since taking over as skipper four years ago, Cummins has been remarkably durable, missing only two Tests through injury and playing a starring role in every Ashes campaign since 2017. His absence for even part of this summer would be a significant loss.
While Steve Smith has previously stepped in as captain and Scott Boland offers cover with the ball, the prospect of facing England with a seam attack that includes Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Boland and veteran Nathan Lyon would give Australia one of the oldest bowling groups in its history.
The first Ashes Test is scheduled for 21–25 November at Perth Stadium.