Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the last two matches of the Ashes. He missed the first two games and featured in the third match. Cummins captained the Australia team in the third game and bowled a total of 34 overs in the match. He took three wickets each in both innings, and Australia won the game by 82 runs.
Cummins experienced discomfort after returning from the West Indies tour and was diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury in September. He was unable to return to bowling for a few weeks, which was why he was ruled out of the first Test. An aggressive rehab program helped Cummins make a comeback in the third Test.
The selectors and medical staff are not willing to take any risks for his long-term health. Hence, the decision to give him rest for the last two matches has been taken.
Impact of Pat Cummins’ absence in the Ashes for Australia
Australia announced the squad for the fourth Test on 23 December. Steve Smith has been named in the team and will lead Australia in Cummins’ absence. Smith captained the side in the first two Test matches and was ruled out of the third Test due to an inner-ear issue.
Also Read: On This Day in Cricket History: 23 December
Nathan Lyon suffered a hamstring injury on the fifth day of the third Test and will need to undergo surgery. He has also been ruled out of the upcoming match and might not make it to the last game of the series.
Australia has already won the Ashes after winning the first three matches and are still in first place in the World Test Championship points table. The first two wins came without Cummins in the playing 11. Hence, Cummins’ absence might not have a significant impact on the team’s performance. Also, England has not delivered a dominant performance so far in the series.
Cummins might miss the upcoming T20 World Cup
There is still no clarity on whether Cummins will be available for selection for the T20 World Cup 2026. All teams must submit their provisional squads to the ICC by 8 January 2026. They can still make changes to the team until 31 January 2026.
Also Read: India announces squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
The Australian selectors were due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the squad. The significant discussion will be over Cummins’ selection. “I’m assuming he’ll have a check-in scan at some point and gather more information around where his back is at… looking forward to the World Cup, whether he’ll be there or not. I can’t really say. It’s quite grey at the moment. We’re hopeful,” head coach Andrew McDonald said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
