Pat Cummins has declared he will do “whatever it takes” to lead Australia in the Ashes against England later this year, despite battling a back injury that has already ruled him out of the upcoming white-ball tours.
The 32-year-old fast bowler is sidelined with lumbar bone stress and has not bowled since the Test series in the West Indies in June–July. He has been limited to light gym work and will be reassessed by medical staff in a month, leaving his availability for the first Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November uncertain.
Speaking to cricket.com.au, Cummins admitted he was ready to accelerate his recovery, even if it carried some risk.
“I’m never going to go into a Test match unless you think you can finish it,” he said. “But when you’re 18 or 19, you’re like, ‘Let’s make sure this is the perfect rehab, even if it takes six months’.
“Whereas now, I’m happy to be a bit like, ‘Well, it’s an Ashes series — whatever it takes to play it’. If at the end you’re still not 100 percent and need a break next year, so be it. There’s not another Ashes series.”
Cummins has struggled with back problems throughout his career, including a serious flare-up in 2018 that cost him an entire off-season. However, he has missed only one Test through injury since becoming captain four years ago and insisted this latest issue was “worlds away” from his earlier setbacks.
“I’ve bowled a lot over the last few years, so something was bound to happen at some point,” he said. “Hopefully I get this right and don’t miss too much cricket.”
Whether Cummins plays in Perth may also depend on the form and fitness of fellow quicks Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2023 after a 2-2 draw and won 4-0 at home in 2021-22, when Cummins was the leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an average of 18.
The opening Test of the 2025 Ashes begins on 21 November in Perth.
