Australia captain Pat Cummins is set to miss the start of the Ashes and could be ruled out of the entire series against England following an injury setback.
Cummins, the leader of Australia’s formidable bowling attack for the best part of a decade, is struggling with a back stress problem.
Speaking a month ago, Cummins said he would be ‘devastated’ to miss even the start of the Australia’s home Ashes series.
But The Age report that 32-year-old Cummins has ‘no chance’ of recovering in time for the Ashes opener in Perth on November 21.
A fresh round of scans showed his back problem had not yet healed and the injury could see him miss the entirety of the Ashes.
Cummins’ enforced absence would likely leave Steve Smith as Australia’s stand-in captain for the visit of Ben Stokes’ England.
Scott Boland, meanwhile, is expected to join Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Australia’s pace attack for the first Ashes Test next month.
Boland has 82 wickets in 14 Tests at an average of less than 17. He took a hat-trick in Australia’s demolition of the West Indies back in July.
Cricket Australia declined to comment on speculation Cummins could miss the Ashes but the seamer has not yet been cleared to bowl.
A ‘best-case scenario’, according to The Age, would see Cummins return to the Australia team towards the end of the Ashes, which finishes in the first week of January.
Australia are bidding to retain the Ashes they have held since 2018 against what appears to be England’s best touring side in a decade.
England have not won a single Test in Australia since 2011 but are taking an aggressive and dynamic team Down Under, led by inspirational all-rounder Stokes and New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum.
Discussing his race to regain his fitness in time for the Ashes, Cummins said last week: ‘It would be devastating [to miss the start of the series].
‘We’ll be doing everything we can to be right for that, [and] make a few decisions a little bit closer, but [I’m] confident we’ll do the rehab right and give it a good crack.
‘This far out it’s hard to know, but we’re trying to make sure we’re doing everything right to be right for Perth.
‘It’s a big Ashes series, [it] doesn’t get much bigger, so you’re willing to be aggressive and take a few risks to try to play as much of the Tests as you can.
‘I’ve had a really good run as fast bowling goes, and I’ve been really well looked after, which has got me through this many Tests.
‘I’ve bowled a lot over the last few years, something was bound to happen at some point, but hopefully get this right and don’t miss too much cricket.’
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