McDonald offers ray of light for Cummins’ Ashes campaign

6 hours ago 2

Australia coach Andrew McDonald admits time is running out for Pat Cummins to prove his fitness for the opening Ashes Test, but says there has been no discussion about the captain missing the entire series.

It was reported this week that Cummins would take no part in the first Test of the summer, starting on November 21 in Perth, due to a back issue.

Pat Cummins status for the Ashes remains uncertain.

While that scenario remains likely, McDonald is not prepared to declare the 32-year-old unavailable, saying selectors and medical staff will have more clarity late next week.

McDonald said Cummins had enjoyed a “really positive” week in his rehabilitation and dismissed speculation that his Ashes campaign was already over.

Team officials want Cummins to be bowling about four-and-a-half weeks before a Test to consider him eligible for selection.

Even if Cummins is only available for matches at the end of the series, Australia will do everything they can to pick him.

‘All I’d say is that he’s had a really positive week.’

Andrew McDonald on Pat Cummins

“It’ll be a decision around the first Test match. Are we starting to run out of time? There’s no doubt,” McDonald said.

“Is Patty someone that can be prepared on a shortened prep? Yes, but as it stands six weeks out, we’d like to see him back and bowling very soon, if he was to be a realistic chance at that first Test. To say that he’s out of the series and to go down that path would be incorrect at this stage. All I’d say is that he’s had a really positive week, this week.

“If we did know, we’d let you know. The biggest variable that we need to add in is bowling, and that’s where we’ll get most of the information.

“There’s no discussion of him missing the entire series. We’ll be in a better position this time next week to give a more informed take on where he’s at, in regards to the first Test.”

Test captain Pat Cummins and Australia coach Andrew McDonald.

McDonald is expected to meet Cummins and Steve Smith in Sydney about the time of Australia’s ODI match against India on October 25 to discuss plans for the summer.

If Cummins is unable to prove his fitness, Smith will take the reins as captain – a role he last filled during Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year.

“We feel as though that would be a nice timeline to start to get the pieces together,” McDonald said. “We’ll have more information on Patty, and then we’ll be able to sort of build towards what that first Test match looks like.”

Smith is scheduled to play for NSW in their third and fourth matches of the Sheffield Shield season – against Queensland at the Gabba (October 28-31) and Victoria at the SCG (November 10-13), respectively.

He remains in New York, his primary residence, and will return to Australia next week. McDonald said Smith’s absence from the Blues’ first two Shield games was not a concern.

“We think that two Shield games is ample preparation for Steve Smith,” McDonald said. “That is taking all things into consideration around where he lives and what the preparation looks like and what he’s done previously in his career and what we want him to do moving forward. There’s been no discussion around the batting order at this stage.”

Preliminary selection discussions will begin after the second round of Shield cricket, which concludes next Saturday.

Marnus Labuschagne has rocketed back into Test contention after making three hundreds in four innings across all formats, while Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis remain in the frame.

Head selector George Bailey said earlier this year he did not believe Marsh’s Test career was over after he was dropped from Australia’s XI for the fifth match of the Border-Gavaskar series.

Meanwhile, opener Sam Konstas faces an uphill battle to retain his place after scores of four and 14 against Western Australia, though selectors are mindful he batted on arguably the toughest pitch in the opening Shield round.

Konstas made an entertaining 40 off 28 balls in a one-day match on Thursday against Western Australia, but will want runs against Victoria in the Blues’ next Shield assignment starting on Wednesday in Melbourne.