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Pat Cummins has deepened the mystery and uncertainty around his fitness status for the start of the Ashes, admitting he can’t be totally sure of recovering from a stress “hot spot” in his back in time for the Perth Test in November.
Additionally, Cummins revealed Monday’s scan was the second one he had undergone since the West Indies tour in July, with this week’s results indicating he still had some weeks of rest ahead of him before he can bowl again.
Australian captain Pat Cummins bowling against South Africa at Lord’s in June.Credit: AP
Speaking in Brisbane, Cummins sounded far less confident of his fitness for the Perth Test than selection chairman George Bailey had been just 24 hours before, when he more or less guaranteed that the captain would be fit for the start of the series.
“That would be devastating,” Cummins told rights-holding broadcasters in Brisbane when asked if there was a possibility he would miss Perth. “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.
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“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.”
Cummins said he had started feeling sore in the Caribbean, and pointed to the 35.1 overs he bowled in the World Test Championship final against South Africa as a possible starting point for the issue.
“[I] was a little bit sore after the West Indies, had a scan, [and] there was a little bit going on, gave it another month, [and I] have had a bit of a quiet month to help it settle down,” Cummins said.
“[I] had another scan on Monday, which was not terrible, but enough to know there’s a little bit there and [that I] need to be careful for the next little bit. It doesn’t feel too bad, but I’m not bowling or doing much at the moment.
“Sometimes you may just get unlucky and you bowl lots of overs in, say, the World Test Championship final and that’s enough to start it, but through the West Indies I felt like it was a little sore but nothing [unusual] for a fast bowler. But once you get home and everything settles down, it hung around a little bit.”
Cummins has dealt with a back stress issue without missing a home Test at least once since he started playing consistent Test cricket in 2017. That was in 2018, when he suffered a stress fracture towards the end of the Sandpapergate tour of South Africa and was fit for the start of the home series against India later that year.
Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.Credit: Getty Images
“I think I’ve been really lucky the last seven or eight years I haven’t really had much, so I missed the odd Test match here or there, but no real thing,” Cummins said.
“In 2018 I had a full-blown stress fracture that kept me out for an off-season.
“But 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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Even so, Cummins was open to discussing the pace bowling reserves that may be required, should his back not settle down in time – mentioning the likes of Sean Abbott, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson as the next group behind Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland.
“We always talk about we need a lot of depth,” he said.
“We’ve been lucky in the last couple of years – we haven’t had to go past the four guys really, but guys like Sean Abbott and [Brendan Doggett], there’s four or five guys.
“Neser’s been around, Jhye Richardson, there’s guys who’ve been around the Test team the past few years, and haven’t had too many opportunities, but hopefully the other three are fighting fit, plus me, and we’ve got plenty of resources.”
There are still some 12 weeks before the first ball is bowled in Perth, but Cummins’ description of “three fighting fit, plus me”, did not inspire confidence.
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