Pat Cummins ‘less likely than likely’ to play the Ashes opener against England
Australia captain Pat Cummins remains hopeful of recovering in time for the opening Test of the Ashes against England, set to begin in Perth on November 21, though he admits the odds are against him.
The pacer has been nursing a back injury and is yet to resume bowling in training. Speaking in Sydney on Monday, Cummins said his rehabilitation was progressing steadily but cautiously. “I’d say probably less likely than likely, but we’ve still got a bit of time,” he noted. “I’m running every second day, each run a bit longer, and bowling prep starts next week. I’m probably a couple of weeks away from putting on the spikes and bowling on turf.”
Cummins acknowledged that returning to full bowling fitness in time for the series opener would be challenging. “You’d want probably at least a month in the nets,” he said. “To play a Test, you have to be confident about bowling 20 overs a day without thinking about it. Four weeks is pretty tight, but somewhere around that mark is what I’m aiming for.”
Despite the setback, the 31-year-old remains optimistic about his long-term prospects. “It’s a back injury I haven’t had in seven or eight years, and I’ve played a lot of cricket since,” Cummins said. “When I was 20, I’d have worried about what my body could handle. But now I know that if I do the rehab properly, I shouldn’t have to worry. Hopefully, I can play as much — even more — cricket than before.”
Series schedule
First Test: 21-25 November, Perth
Second Test: 4-8 December, Brisbane
Third Test: 17-21 December, Adelaide
Fourth Test: 25-29 December, Melbourne
Fifth Test: 3-7 January 2026, Sydney
Published on Oct 13, 2025
