Australian skipper Pat Cummins has been put on the medical bench once more after latest scans revealed that his back stress injury, which has been a concern since early August, is yet to heal, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
Earlier in his recovery planning, Cummins was confident to have a fair share of the series under his belt, however, it would seem that he now stands no chance of playing in the series opener in Perth from 21 November and may even miss all five Tests, leaving interim captain Steve Smith to lead.
Going by two unnamed informants involved in confidential talks on the matter but who were not authorised to speak publicly, Cummins received an update scan just last week to review his progress and was advised that the “hot spot” of the stress was still in the healing process and that bowling would be contraindicated at this stage.
Read Also:- Shreyas Iyer Drops a Massive Statement on His Grind in International Cricket
This update probably pushes Cummins’ comeback to the end of the year and will make it nearly impossible for him to get up to full speed in time to partake in a tightly packed Ashes series. Cricket Australia is yet to make any comment on this matter.
For the want of a better thing to do, the best-case scenario would be him coming back towards the series’ end, and Scott Boland occupying the third pacer role alongside Hazlewood and Starc.
The absence of Cummins could be the biggest blow to Aussie hopes of retaining the glittering Ashes urn, held by them since 2018. This development will provide England with a huge boost, if it really gets confirmed-the last time they won an Ashes Series on English soil was way back in 2011.
“That would be devastating,” Cummins said a month ago in Brisbane when he was asked about a possibility of missing the start to the Ashes.
“We will be doing everything we can to be right for that, and make a few decisions a little bit closer, but I am confident we will do the rehab right and give it a good crack.
“This far out, it is hard to know, but we are trying to make sure we are doing everything right to be right for Perth. It is a big Ashes series; it does not get much bigger, so you are willing to be aggressive and take a few risks to try to play as many of the Tests as you can.”
“I think I have had a really good run as far as fast bowling is concerned and have been really well looked after through it all, and that has seen me through this many Tests. I bowl an awful lot over these last few years; something had to eventually happen, but we just hope I get it right and that I don’t miss too much cricket,” he concluded.
