Pat Cummins Recovering from Back Injury, Likely to Miss Upcoming Matches. Australia captain Pat Cummins is currently recovering from a back stress injury, which has kept him sidelined since July. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald provided an update on the pacer’s condition, highlighting that Cummins is still on the road to full fitness.
The first Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series between Australia and England is set to begin on November 21 at Perth Cricket Stadium. However, Pat Cummins is expected to miss the match due to his ongoing injury. The right-arm fast bowler last represented Australia in the three-match Test series against the West Indies in July.
Pat Cummins was also ruled out of the recent T20I series against New Zealand and is set to miss the upcoming white-ball series against India, starting on October 19. In his absence, Mitchell Marsh will lead Australia in the ODI series.
Australia Coach Updates on Pat Cummins’ Fitness Ahead of The Ashes 2025-26
With just over a month to go before The Ashes 2025-26, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald provided an update on Pat Cummins’ fitness, stating that the star pacer could be ready for the series if he returns to training within the next 10 days. McDonald also noted that Cummins has shown encouraging signs of recovery in recent days.
“There are some positive signs after speaking with Patty over the past few days. He’s much more optimistic now. Injuries like this tend to ebb and flow. A couple of weeks ago, he wasn’t sure if he could play in Perth because he was still sore. Fast forward two weeks, and the outlook is much more positive. We still have some way to go,” McDonald said, as quoted by the ICC.
“One advantage with Patty is his ability to prepare for Test matches even with shortened lead-ups. So, even if his preparation is condensed, we’re confident he can still perform in the first Test,” he added.
McDonald further mentioned that the team expects to have a clearer picture of Pat Cummins’ fitness by next week.
“Time is starting to get tight. We remain optimistic and hopeful, but by this time next week, we should have a much better idea of where he stands,” he explained.
If Pat Cummins is unavailable for the opening Test in Perth, Steve Smith is expected to captain the side. In that case, pacer Scott Boland could step in to join senior fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in the playing XI.