Australia’s top cricketer, Pat Cummins, faces a potential absence from the entire Ashes series due to a lingering back injury. The Australian captain’s back issue, persisting since earlier this year, remains unhealed as per recent scans.

Having missed recent series against South Africa and New Zealand, Cummins is set to skip upcoming ODIs and T20 matches against India. It is likely that he will also sit out the Ashes opener in Perth and may be ruled out for the entire series.

Cummins’ potential absence would be a significant setback for Australia, aiming to defend the Ashes they have held since 2018. Despite ongoing rehabilitation efforts, Cummins is not yet ready to resume bowling.

The last time Cummins played was during Australia’s 3-0 victory against West Indies in July. In case of his continued unavailability, Scott Boland is expected to step in alongside Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in the pace attack.

In the event of Cummins’ absence, Steve Smith is the leading contender to assume the captaincy, given his experience leading the team on previous occasions.

Addressing Cummins’ fitness concerns, Australia coach Andrew McDonald mentioned that they are hopeful for his return to play a key role in the Ashes series, despite ongoing rehabilitation efforts and the need for more information.

While England has already announced its squad for the Ashes, Australia is yet to finalize its selections. However, Australia has named its squad for upcoming matches against India.

Australia’s chair of selectors, George Bailey, explained the squad selection strategy, emphasizing the balancing act of managing players for various formats and preparing for future series.

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