Pat Cummins Ruled Out: Australian Skipper Faces Lumbar Bone Stress, Threatening Ashes Participation

Pat Cummins, the Australian skipper, will be sidelined from upcoming limited-overs matches against New Zealand and India due to lumbar bone stress discovered in recent scans. While there is no fracture, the fast bowler requires rest and careful management, which will keep him out of action throughout October and November. This injury was identified during medical evaluations conducted after Australia’s World Test Championship Final and their tour of the West Indies earlier this year. Although the scans ruled out a serious break, the degree of bone stress necessitates an extended recovery period. Since assuming the captaincy in November 2021, Cummins has shouldered a heavy Test workload. He has missed only two Tests due to injury since then, leading Australia to a WTC victory, an Ashes win in England, and an ODI World Cup title. The 32-year-old bowled over 95 overs in four Tests during the recent tours of the Caribbean and England, subsequently reporting back soreness. Cummins has a history of back issues. Early in his career, he experienced recurring stress fractures that delayed his return to Test cricket following a promising start in 2011. However, since his full return in 2017, he has been a consistent presence, participating in 19 of Australia’s last 20 Ashes Tests. If Cummins is unable to recover in time for the Ashes opener in Perth this November, Scott Boland is likely to be added to the pace attack. Vice-captain Steve Smith is poised to lead the team if Cummins is unavailable, replicating his role from the Sri Lanka tour last year.