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Pat Cummins will miss Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand as Cricket Australia prioritizes his fitness for the Ashes.
Australia captain Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins is likely to miss Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand, with Cricket Australia (CA) opting to give its captain a break ahead of a packed summer that culminates in a home Ashes series later this year.
According to a report from CODE Sports, the 32-year-old fast bowler will undergo precautionary scans on his back after feeling stiffness since returning from the Caribbean last month. Cummins had already missed the recent white-ball series against the West Indies and South Africa as CA looks to carefully manage his workload.
The move certainly shows that Australia are willing to prioritise the five-Test Ashes, which gets underway later this year. While Cummins will not travel across the Tasman, he is expected to return in the ODI series against India in October.
Speaking on Thursday, fellow quick Josh Hazlewood underlined that each of Australia’s Test pacers will approach their preparation differently.
“The Test guys will play more than one Shield game,” Hazlewood told reporters. “They’ll probably play two or three, but everyone’s on different programs. I used it last year and found it very beneficial – time on the field, multiple spells in a day, it’s hard to replicate at training.
“It felt like over the last 12 months, the best way for me to go about it is just keep ticking over, keep playing, not having too long off bowling. If I can just stay up there at match intensity as long as I can, that’s the best way forward.”
Hazlewood’s comments reflect the balancing act Australia’s selectors face: managing senior bowlers’ bodies while keeping them battle-ready for the longest format.
The decision to rest Cummins also comes at a time when Australia’s fast bowling depth is being tested. Fringe quicks Lance Morris, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis are all recovering from injuries, placing even more responsibility on Cummins, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland to carry the attack during the Ashes.
For now, though, Australia is choosing to think long-term. With the Ashes looming large on the horizon, preserving their captain’s fitness is seen as crucial to the team’s chances. Australia’s three-match T20I series against New Zealand begins on October 1.
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had …Read More
A cricket enthusiast whose dreams of playing for India paved the way for a compelling journey in journalism. With a comprehensive coverage spanning international and domestic cricket across formats, I have had … Read More
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