Pat Cummins is expected to miss the first Ashes Test in Perth next month, with growing doubts over his availability for the entire series against England. The Australia captain has been sidelined with a back injury that has not yet healed, according to the latest scans.
Cummins, 32, was ruled out of Australia’s recent white-ball series against South Africa and New Zealand and will also sit out the upcoming ODIs and T20s against India. He last played in the 3-0 Test series sweep of West Indies in July. Cricket Australia has not ruled him out of the first Test but he is not yet ready to resume bowling, with the series starting on 21 November.
Scott Boland is likely to replace Cummins in the pace attack alongside Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, while Steve Smith would stand in as captain. Australia coach Andrew McDonald expressed hope that Cummins would play a part in the series, telling SEN radio: “We have got time… we’re really hopeful that he will take a key part in the Ashes.”
Joe Root believes England are ready to “bring the urn home” after a decade without an Ashes series win. Root, who has never won a Test in Australia, said: “When we look back in five years’ time… no one is going to remember what Matthew Hayden said to me. They are going to look back on the scoreline.”
In other news, Andrew Flintoff has left his role as head coach of Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, citing a salary offer he deemed inadequate. He stated the new Indian owners offered him a quarter of the salary of his peers, leading him to walk away.
