Australia captain Pat Cummins has admitted that his chances of being fit in time for the Ashes series opener against England next month are currently slim. The pace spearhead, who’s been sidelined with a stress-related injury in his lower back, has not played any competitive cricket since July.
While Cummins has resumed light training – including running sessions every other day – he remains cautious about his return timeline, saying it’s “less likely than likely” that he’ll be fully ready for the first Test in Perth, starting November 21.
Speaking to Cricket Australia’s official website, the 32-year-old said he’s set to start bowling prep next week, but suggested the turnaround may be too tight to hit full match fitness in time.
“You’d want at least a month in the nets. If you’re playing a Test match, you need to be ready to bowl 20 overs in a day without thinking about it,” Cummins explained. “So four weeks is pretty tight – but it’s somewhere around that mark.”
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Cummins acknowledged the difficulty of ramping up from complete rest to full Test-match workload in a short window. Though bowling sessions are penciled in to begin soon, it could still be a couple of weeks before he’s back in spikes and bowling on turf.
“With these kinds of injuries, you can’t go from zero to playing five back-to-back Tests. The plan is to first give myself a genuine chance of being ready – and then reassess from there,” he said.
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Despite the uncertainty, the Australian skipper hasn’t ruled out the possibility of taking a calculated risk with his body, given the weight of the Ashes series and Australia’s relatively lighter schedule early next year.
“2026 isn’t as packed as some other years. There’s the T20 World Cup in February-March, but most of our Test cricket is scheduled later in the year,” he noted. “So I might be willing to push things a little more than I usually would.”
Australia’s medical staff and selectors will no doubt be monitoring Cummins’ recovery closely. With the Ashes being one of the marquee contests in world cricket – and the added pressure of starting strong on home soil – Cummins’ presence would be invaluable. However, given the nature of lumbar stress injuries and the demands of fast bowling, a cautious approach could still be on the cards.
For now, Australia’s Test captain remains in a race against time – one that may require a blend of patience, planning, and a little bit of calculated risk.
