Australia will start the iconic red-ball Ashes series on November 1 without their captain, Pat Cummins, who has failed to recover from a back injury in time for the first Test.
Pat Cummins’ absence from the opening Test was widely expected, but the determined Australian skipper kept trying until the end. Despite expressing his willingness to play, his back injury prevented him from being fit in time.
Australian head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that the recovery window has expired. “We mentioned about a week ago that Cummins would need roughly four weeks to be fully fit. Unfortunately, that period has now passed,” said McDonald. “Still, we remain optimistic that he’ll be available for the second Test.”
There remains hope that Cummins could return for the Brisbane Test, scheduled to start on December 4. “Everyone wants to know if he’ll be back before the second Test. Right now, we can’t be certain. But he will start bowling this week, and that’s the biggest step forward. This was the phase we needed to reach. We’re progressing well and hopeful of seeing him in Brisbane,” McDonald added.
He also stressed that setting a precise timeline for recovery is never possible. “Everyone wants certainty about his return, but we can’t put pressure on the medical team,” he said.
In Cummins’ absence, Steven Smith will lead Australia in the first Test against England in Perth. Cummins has been sidelined since being diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury in September. The problem resurfaced after the West Indies tour, keeping him out of action for several weeks.
TSN