Pat Cummins’ Ashes campaign is officially over, and Australia are now facing growing uncertainty over whether their captain will be fit in time for the T20 World Cup in February. With long-term health the priority, selectors and medical staff are unwilling to take further risks with the fast bowler’s back.
Australia confirmed on Tuesday that Cummins would not feature again in the series, having played just one Test. Head coach Andrew McDonald revealed the decision had been mapped out well in advance, with Cummins’ return in Adelaide always part of a carefully managed plan rather than a full-series comeback.
Cummins has been dealing with a lumbar stress reaction since the West Indies tour, but after an intensive rehabilitation programme, he returned in style in the third Test, taking six wickets in Australia’s 82-run win to clinch the Ashes.
“He’s pulled up fine,” McDonald said. “But he won’t play any part in the rest of the series. We knew there was risk involved in bringing him back, and now that we’ve won the series, there’s no appetite to push that risk further and jeopardise him long-term. Pat is very comfortable with that.”
McDonald stressed that even getting Cummins back for one Test was a significant achievement. Any setback during his rehab would have shut him down immediately, he said, praising both the bowler’s commitment and the work of Australia’s sports science and medical staff.
“To navigate that risk profile, get him back, take six wickets and seal the Ashes was incredibly pleasing,” McDonald said. “A few months ago, people thought it was almost impossible.”
The focus now shifts to the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, with Cummins’ availability still unclear. McDonald indicated further medical assessments, including scans, would help guide the decision, but admitted the picture remains uncertain.
“It’s quite grey at the moment,” he said. “We’re hopeful, but we’ll need more information before making that call.”
Cummins has not played a T20I since the previous World Cup in mid-2024, and his schedule beyond that is also demanding, with IPL 2026 looming, where he is set to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Australia’s pace depth has been stretched throughout the Ashes, with Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the series and Sean Abbott sidelined before the opening Test. In that context, Mitchell Starc’s durability has stood out.
“Starc’s amazing — I don’t know how he does it,” McDonald said. “He just keeps running in at that pace. The physio called him a freak, and that about sums it up.”
Starc has led the attack superbly and remains keen to play all five Tests, while Jhye Richardson has been added to the squad for the Boxing Day Test after recovering from shoulder surgery. Richardson last played a Test during the 2021–22 Ashes, offering Australia another option as they manage their fast-bowling resources carefully.
For now, Australia have their Ashes in hand — but Cummins’ next chapter, particularly on the T20 stage, remains uncertain.
