Australia will be without captain Pat Cummins for the remainder of the Ashes, with the fast bowler’s brief return for the third Test now confirmed as a one-off appearance and his availability for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, starting February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, also uncertain.
Cummins has been left out of Australia’s 15-member squad for the Boxing Day Test against England, with selectors opting to manage his workload following his recent recovery from a back issue.
Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who tore his right hamstring, was expectedly omitted, with Todd Murphy and Jhye Richardson drafted into the squad ahead of the fourth Test, starting December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Steve Smith will continue to lead the side in Cummins’ absence, while Michael Neser, Beau Webster and reserve quick Brendan Doggett have retained their places despite missing out on selection in the Adelaide Test. Australia sealed an unassailable 3-0 lead to regain the urn, with an 82-run win in Adelaide, a match that marked Cummins’ only appearance in the Ashes.
Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that Cummins will play no further part in the series, explaining that the decision had been planned well in advance.
“He (Cummins) won’t play any part in the rest of the series,” McDonald said.
“That was a discussion that we had a long time out around his return. Yeah, we were taking on some risk. We’ve now won the series, and that was the goal.
“To position him for further risk and jeopardise him long-term is not something that we want to do. Pat’s really comfortable with that. If he had any setback in the build-in as well, we would have shut him down straight away.
“Everything went really smoothly, and full credit to him, the medical team and to navigate through that risk profile, to get him back and take six wickets in that game and nail the Ashes series was incredibly pleasing for everyone associated with that,” McDonald further said.
With Cummins sidelined, Richardson could come into contention for the remaining Tests in Melbourne and Sydney after recently completing his own comeback from injury. The 29-year-old, who has played just three Tests, last featured in the format in 2021 against England in Adelaide but remains highly regarded by the selectors.
Doubtful for T20 World Cup
Cummins’ absence from the remainder of the Ashes has also cast doubt over his participation in Australia’s ICC men’s T20 World Cup campaign in India and Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin on February 7. McDonald admitted that clarity on the pacer’s fitness is still some way off.
Cummins has not played a T20I for Australia since mid-2024 at the previous World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. Shortly after the upcoming edition takes place in India and Sri Lanka, IPL 2026 will begin, where Cummins is due to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
“That’ll be an assessment,” McDonald said.
“I’m assuming he’ll have a check-in scan at some point and gather more information around where his back is at… looking forward to the World Cup, whether he’ll be there or not, I can’t really say. It’s quite grey at the moment. We’re hopeful,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lyon’s omission was also expected, with Cricket Australia confirming that the veteran spinner will undergo surgery on a torn right hamstring, ruling him out for an extended period. Todd Murphy appears the most likely replacement, having already played seven Tests for Australia, most recently against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier this year.
Australia squad (Fourth Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster