In what could be a massive blow for their Ashes 2025 campaign, Australia are likely to miss out on the service of their talisman skipper Pat Cummins for the opening Ashes 2025 Test, starting on November 21 in Perth. The pacer has not bowled since mid-July -when he suffered a serious lumber back stress blow during the team's three-match Test series against West Indies.
With only one & half months left for the Ashes to begin, Cummins's latest scan reports reveal that he is progressing, but significant questions persist about whether Australia would take the risk of rushing the 32-year-old's recovery, according to Code Sports. The pacer will be given an ample amount of time to prove his fitness for the Ashes 2025 opener Test in Perth, but serious doubts remain for his availability throughout the five-match series.
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Former Australia captain Mark Taylor recently gave his two cents on Cummins's potential lack of match practice and preparation being a major worry.
“Pat quite rightly is playing it down because he says he is going to play all five Test matches, but during the week he’s saying he’s not going to play any lead-up games,” Taylor said on Wide World of Sports.
“Well, that’s a worry in itself; he’s got a hot spot in his back. How does he test it out?
“I know he’ll do nets and workouts in the gym, but the game itself is where you find that extra yard, that extra bit of adrenaline kicks in, it’ll be interesting to see how he goes.”
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Cummins should be 100% fit for Ashes even if he misses two Tests: Brett Lee
Apart from Taylor, former Australian pacer Brett Lee also stated that Cummins must be 100% fit before playing, even if he misses one or two Tests.
“You sort of don’t want your premier fast bowler, captain of the Australian cricket team, to be missing any cricket,” Lee said.
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“He’s better off waiting until he is 100 per cent fit because what they don’t want to do is play him in the first Test, 90 or 80 per cent fit, and he goes and injures his back again. Then he’s buggered for the whole summer,” Lee added.
