Sydney, October 27: Australia have suffered an early blow ahead of the Ashes series, with skipper and premier fast bowler Pat Cummins ruled out of the first Test against England due to a lumbar stress injury.
Cricket Australia confirmed that Cummins has not yet returned to bowling after being diagnosed with the injury in September, having experienced discomfort following the tour of the West Indies. The setback means the 32-year-old will miss the opener but is expected to regain full fitness ahead of the second Test in Brisbane, beginning December 4.
Vice-captain Steven Smith will lead the side in Cummins’ absence when the series begins on November 21 at Perth Stadium. Head coach Andrew McDonald said the decision was made after it became clear the skipper needed more recovery time.
“We’ve run out of time,” McDonald told reporters in Canberra. “We sort of flagged this a week or so ago that it would take four-plus weeks to get him up and running, and we’ve run out of time, unfortunately. But we’re really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match.”
Cummins has shouldered a heavy workload since taking over the captaincy in November 2021, missing only two Tests through injury in that period. Under his leadership, Australia have lifted the World Test Championship, retained the Ashes in England, and won the ODI World Cup last year.
His durability has been a cornerstone of Australia’s recent dominance, particularly across the last two Ashes campaigns, where he featured in nearly every Test. However, after bowling 95.1 overs across four Tests in the UK and the Caribbean earlier this year, the pacer began experiencing recurring back pain that led to his latest setback.
Smith, who was stripped of the captaincy in the wake of the sandpaper scandal in 2018, has filled in for Australia six times as Cummins’s deputy since 2021. Interestingly, Smith boasts a batting average of 68.98 as captain, compared to 49.9 when not leading, underlining his ability to thrive under responsibility.
Cummins’ absence will be a significant blow for Australia, but the selectors are confident in the depth of their pace stocks, with Scott Boland and Michael Neser likely contenders to fill the vacancy.
The first Ashes Test begins November 21 in Perth, setting the stage for another fierce chapter in cricket’s oldest rivalry.
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