Pat Cummins ruled out of white-ball matches due to injury, Australia captain faces fight for fitness ahead of Ashes series with England
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/03/04/image-74fa2946-29d7-46cb-b7fa-dd57662124d3-68-310-310.jpeg)
Published 02/09/2025 at 09:13 GMT+1
The countdown is on for the 2025/26 Ashes tour in Australia, which will be shown live and exclusively on TNT Sports and discovery+. With just over a couple of months to go until the first ball is bowled, the Aussies have been dealt an injury blow to their captain Pat Cummins. He will now miss upcoming matches against New Zealand and India in a race to be fit for the first Ashes Test in Perth.
'The Big Show brings it home!' - Maxwell hits wild reverse sweep to give Australia victory
Video credit: TNT Sports
Australia’s preparations for this year’s Ashes series have been hampered by an injury to their Test captain, who will now miss upcoming white-ball matches against New Zealand and India.
Pat Cummins is continuing to struggle with lumbar bone stress in his lower back, which ruled him out of recent T20Is against West Indies and both series against South Africa.
The setback means he will not play any competitive cricket in the run-up to the 2025/26 Ashes, which is being shown live and exclusively on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The five-Test series gets underway in Perth on 21 November.
"It still feels like there’s plenty of time," said George Bailey, Australia’s Chairman of Selectors.
"[There’s] full expectation that Pat will be right to go come the first Test."
The Aussies will be relieved to know that Cummins’ injury is not a stress fracture -  a problem he suffered during the early stages of his career.
The fast bowler has been a consistent figure in international cricket, missing just two Tests through injury since becoming Australia’s skipper four years ago.
"There always was a de-load planned for him post that West Indies Test series," added Bailey.
"Then he’s just reported that he had a little bit of ongoing back soreness as part of that, and [the scan] just identified a little bit of lumbar bone stress.
"I think the focus for him has and will continue to be just preparation for that [Ashes] Test series.
"So there’ll just be some further management and a little bit of rehab around that. But in terms of plan for the Ashes, I don’t think too much will change."
- 'Awesome' Baker to make England debut in South Africa ODI
- Hazlewood praises 'unbelievable' England batting line-up ahead of Ashes
Following the Perth Test, the sides will head to Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne throughout December. The series will then climax with a fifth encounter in Sydney in January 2026.
England will be fighting to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. The last Ashes series, in 2023, ended in a draw with bad weather dashing the hosts’ hopes of a historic comeback.
Ben Stokes’ side have had their own injury scares this summer, with Chris Woakes dislocating his shoulder in the final Test against India in August.
The bowler said he could be "willing to take" the risk of rehabilitation rather than surgery to get himself fit for the Ashes, and has since appeared out of a sling as part of his comeback.
England begin their one-day international series at home to South Africa on Tuesday, with the first of three ODIs getting underway at Headingley. This will be followed by a T20 series the following week.
They will then face further T20 matches against Ireland and New Zealand, before a one-day international series against the Black Caps in their final outing before the Ashes.
Watch and stream top cricket action, including the 2025/26 Ashes series, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Thoughts?
Advertisement
Advertisement