Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday confirmed that skipper Pat Cummins will not feature in the upcoming ODI and T20I series against India and New Zealand due to a flare-up of a long-standing lower-back issue.
Medical scans detected “a level of lumbar bone stress,” though officials clarified it is not a fracture. Even so, CA has opted for a cautious approach to protect the 32-year-old pacer’s fitness ahead of the 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 said in a statement.
Heavy Workload Behind Injury
The latest setback follows a taxing winter where Cummins bowled more than 95 overs across four Tests in England and the Caribbean. The high workload is believed to have aggravated his back, sparking concerns about his readiness for the Ashes series against England later this year.
Back injuries have troubled Cummins since the start of his career, with recurring stress fractures once threatening his progress. However, since returning in 2017, he has been remarkably consistent—missing just two Tests in eight years. Cummins has also played 19 of Australia’s last 20 Ashes Tests, highlighting his critical role in the team’s success.
Setback to Ashes Preparation
This is not the first planned rest for Cummins, who had already skipped Australia’s recent white-ball tours of the West Indies and northern Australia to manage his workload. That approach paid dividends before the 2023 Test series against India. But with the upcoming Ashes featuring five Tests in just seven weeks, his latest setback poses a serious challenge to Australia’s plans.
Leadership & Bowling Options
In Cummins’ absence, Steve Smith is expected to reprise his role as stand-in captain. Australia still boasts a strong pace battery with Josh Hazlewood (34), Mitchell Starc (35), Scott Boland (36) and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, who turns 38 in November.
If all four play in the Ashes opener at Perth, it would represent one of the oldest bowling combinations in Australian Test history. Still, the absence of Cummins—the spearhead of the attack—would be a major blow to the side’s balance and Ashes preparations.
