Australia have confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will miss the opening Ashes Test against England in Perth on 21 November, with Steve Smith set to lead the side in his absence.
The 32-year-old fast bowler has been sidelined since July with a back injury and, despite hopes of a return, has yet to resume bowling. Cricket Australia said on Sunday that Cummins is expected to be fit “shortly”, with the target of returning for the second Test in Brisbane on 4 December.
His absence is a significant setback for Australia, who will be without their captain and premier fast bowler for the start of the series.
Reports of Cummins’ injury surfaced in September, and he was subsequently ruled out of the white-ball series against New Zealand and India with a lumbar stress fracture. Earlier this month, Cummins admitted that time was “getting tight” for the first Test, explaining that he would need at least a month of bowling practice to regain full match fitness.
Cummins, appointed captain ahead of the 2021–22 Ashes, led Australia to a 4–0 home victory in that series, as well as to triumphs in the 2023 World Test Championship and World Cup.
Smith, 36, will step in as captain for the seventh time. The former skipper, who lost the role in 2018 following the ‘sandpapergate’ scandal, remains one of the most prolific run-scorers in Ashes history and a proven leader in Cummins’ absence.
Scott Boland is expected to replace Cummins in the bowling attack. The 36-year-old seamer boasts a remarkable Test average of 12.63 on home soil and is likely to join Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in an experienced but ageing pace trio for a five-Test series packed into just over seven weeks.
Australia may also need to call upon back-up options such as Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett or Fergus O’Neill as the series progresses. With both sides carrying injury concerns, pace bowling could prove decisive in determining who lifts the urn.
England, meanwhile, have assembled one of their fastest bowling units in decades, featuring Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. However, all have faced injury setbacks over the past year.
Captain Ben Stokes is expected to be fit for the first Test despite not playing since July due to a shoulder injury. England will play their only warm-up match, against an England Lions side, in Perth on 13 November.
Ultimately, the Ashes could hinge on which captain, Cummins or Stokes, can remain fit and on the field throughout the series.
