Australia Faces Captaincy Question as Cummins’ Ashes Fitness in Doubt

SYDNEY: With just over six weeks remaining until the Ashes series commences in Perth, the likelihood of Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, being fit for the opening Test match is decreasing daily, as he awaits clearance to bowl.

Reports indicate that Cummins’ recent scan concerning a lumbar bone stress issue displayed some progress, but not sufficiently enough for him to recommence bowling.

While Cricket Australia has refrained from making any public statements, it is believed that Cummins is still undergoing rehabilitation, and a conclusive decision regarding his return to bowling or participation in the Ashes series has not been determined.

Cummins last bowled during Australia’s Test match in Jamaica in July. Following the revelation of his lumbar issue in early September, he voiced his eagerness to “take a few risks and be a little bit aggressive” to partake in the Ashes, potentially at the cost of skipping all preparatory white- or red-ball games.

However, the timeframe for rebuilding his bowling workload before the Perth Test is becoming increasingly restricted, raising concerns among Cricket Australia’s medical and performance personnel.

Although Cummins has maintained lower-body strength training, his inability to engage in rotational work heightens the potential for soft-tissue injuries — a concern he has carefully managed in recent years due to recurrent ankle and muscle problems.

The previous year saw Cummins rested from Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK to complete a 10-week training period prior to the Border-Gavaskar series.

Even then, he participated in only one domestic one-day match and a couple of ODIs preceding the first Test against India, after plans involving a Sheffield Shield appearance were abandoned.

The Ashes series is set to begin on November 21 in Perth, succeeded by Tests in Brisbane (December 4), Adelaide (December 17), and Melbourne (Boxing Day).

With eight-day intervals following the initial two matches, Australia might cope without rotation early on should Cummins be absent, depending on Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Scott Boland.

Nevertheless, the schedule intensifies with scant four-day breaks between Adelaide and Melbourne, and again before the final Test in Sydney, emphasizing the significance of squad depth — as evidenced during the 2023 Ashes in England when Mark Wood and Chris Woakes excelled after joining mid-series as fresh bowlers.

Starc and Hazlewood, both named in Australia’s ODI and T20I squads for the India series commencing October 19, are anticipated to play a Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales on November 10.

Boland, having bowled 35 overs in Victoria’s Shield opener, is likely to feature in one or two more games leading up to the Ashes.

Michael Neser, who made a significant impact with six wickets for Queensland against Tasmania, is still a backup option, while Brendan Doggett (South Australia) and Sean Abbott (New South Wales) also remain contenders as support pacers.

Should Cummins be ruled out, Australia will be in need of a replacement captain. Former captain Steven Smith, who has steered Australia in 40 Tests and filled in six times since Cummins assumed the role in 2021, emerges as the frontrunner.

Vice-captain Travis Head represents another possibility but is deemed less likely to be favored over Smith.