‘Bad luck’: Pat Cummins set to miss first Ashes Test; Doubts linger over fitness | Cricket News
Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins is expected to miss the first Ashes Test against England due to a lower back injury. He could even miss the entire five-Test series starting November 21 in Perth. The Star Bowler has yet to start bowling and needs 4-6 weeks of training to be ready for matches, making his participation in the Opening Day “effectively impossible”, Code Sports reports.According to Australian media, recent scans show his back is healing, but medical staff are cautious to rush his return. They want to protect his long-term health, especially given his importance to the team as captain and premier fast bowler.Go beyond the border with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!“There’s not much we can do to speed it up unfortunately,” Cummins told News.com.au last month on the subject. He explained that he is currently limited to gym work and cycling, focusing on rest while gradually building up in bowling.Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee had stressed in the same media outlet the importance of Cummins being fully fit before returning. “It’s better to wait until he’s 100% fit because what they don’t want to do is play him in the first Test, 90 or 80% fit, and he’s going to get injured again. Then he was screwed for the whole summer,” Lee said.If Cummins is out, Steve Smith will take over as captain, with Scott Boland joining the bowling attack. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are preparing for the series by playing white ball matches against India and Sheffield Shield matches.Cummins has been remarkably durable since his Test return in 2017, missing only a few matches. He reached a milestone this year, becoming the eighth Australian bowler to take 300 Test wickets. His last absence was during the tour of Sri Lanka, when he took time off for the birth of his second child and to recover from an ankle injury.
