Pat Cummins sidelined from New Zealand, India white-ball series
Cricket
CA said Cummins will undergo further rehabilitation and be carefully managed
SYDNEY (Dunya News) – Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand and India after scans revealed lumbar bone stress in his back, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Tuesday.
CA said Cummins will undergo further rehabilitation and be carefully managed ahead of the home Ashes series, set to begin in November. The injury was detected during routine assessments following the World Test Championship final and the West Indies tour earlier this year. While no fracture was found, the stress levels were deemed serious enough to require extended rest.
Cummins, 31, has carried a heavy workload since assuming the Test captaincy in November 2021, missing only two matches due to injury. Under his leadership, Australia has clinched the World Test Championship, retained the Ashes, and won the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Despite his consistency, Cummins has long battled back issues, including recurring stress fractures after his sensational debut in 2011. He returned to full-time Test cricket in 2017 and has since been a fixture of the Australian attack, missing just one of the past 20 Ashes Tests.
If he fails to regain fitness before the Ashes opener in Perth, selectors could turn to Scott Boland, while vice-captain Steve Smith would step in as skipper.
Meanwhile, CA has named a 14-man squad for next month’s three-match T20I series against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. Allrounder Marcus Stoinis makes a comeback after retiring from ODIs earlier this year, while Mitchell Owen returns from concussion and Matt Short has recovered from a side strain.
The T20I series begins on October 1 at Bay Oval, with subsequent matches on October 3 and 4. Australia will then host India for a three-match ODI and five-match T20I series from October 19 to November 8.
Australia squad for New Zealand series: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
