Australia captain Pat Cummins shed light on his fitness concerns, disclosing updates from a recent scan. While he remains hopeful, doubts linger over his availability for the opening Ashes Test against England in November. With the five-match series starting November 21 in Perth, Pat Cummins faces a tight race against time to regain full fitness. Pat Cummins is all set to miss the white-ball series against India next month due to a back injury, but he is focused on getting back for the Ashes.
Australia captain Pat Cummins has admitted he might be “aggressive” to prove his fitness from a back injury for the start of the Ashes. Pat Cummins will miss upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand and India due to lumbar bone stress. Although chair of selectors George Bailey expects Cummins to lead Australia out for the Ashes opener in Perth on November 21, there are no guarantees.
Australia hit a major blow as Pat Cummins injured himself before Ashes 2025-26
Australian skipper Pat Cummins is confident to play Ashes 2025-26 despite an injury lay-off
Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins is throwing everything at his Ashes comeback. Determined to be ready for the November 21 opener against England in Perth, the 32-year-old quick, battling lumbar bone stress, says he’s willing to push the limits to make it happen. Pat Cummins has already been ruled out of the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand and India after scans revealed the injury. He returned sore from Australia’s 3-0 Test sweep over the West Indies earlier this year, and now all eyes are on his recovery ahead of the Ashes.
“(I’m) confident we’ll do the rehab right and give it a good crack,” Pat Cummins told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.
This far out, it’s hard to know, but we’re trying to make sure we’re doing everything right to be right for Perth. It’s a big Ashes series, it doesn’t get much bigger, so you’re willing to be aggressive and take a few risks to try to play as much of the tests as you can,” he added.
For now, the Australian skipper has been restricted to gym work with no running or bowling. The medical staff wants the bone stress to settle before he starts bowling again, with selectors monitoring his progress closely in the lead-up to the Perth opener.
“With bone injuries, you really just want to settle it down…I’m still doing a bit of gym, but no real running, no bowling. Get that right, and then we’ll build up to the summer. We’ve got loads of time, there’s about 12 weeks until the first test. We’ll see how the next little bit pans out,” Pat Cummins added.
If Pat Cummins is unable to recover in time, Australia have backup options, including Scott Boland, who recently grabbed headlines with a hat-trick against West Indies. Still, the captain believes his experience will help him fast-track his return even if he misses some domestic games before the series.
The Ashes will kick off in Perth before moving to Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney through December and January. For Pat Cummins, the countdown has begun, and he remains determined not to miss a moment of Australia’s title defence.
Also Read: ICC WTC 2023-25: “We Are Playing For A Trophy”- Mark Boucher’s Direct Jibe Ahead Of Final