Pat Cummins Eyes Ashes Return Amid Back Injury Struggles

Sydney, Sep 3 (PTI) – Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has expressed his determination to play in the highly anticipated Ashes series, despite struggling with a back injury likely incurred from increased workload during the World Test Championship Final against South Africa earlier this year. The 32-year-old fast bowler will sit out the upcoming limited-overs matches against New Zealand and India, as well as the Sheffield Shield fixtures leading up to the Ashes, but remains optimistic about being fit for the first Test in Perth on November 21.

"I'm never going to go into a Test match unless you think you can finish the Test match," Cummins told cricket.com.au on Wednesday. "But when you're 18 or 19, you're like, 'Let's make sure this is the perfect rehab, even if it takes an extra six months'. Whereas now, I'm willing to be a bit like, 'It's an Ashes series, I'll do whatever it takes to play it'. If at the end you're still not 100% and need to take a break next year, there's no other Ashes series," Cummins emphasized, highlighting the Ashes' significance against England.

Medical scans have identified a lower-back issue that continues to bother Cummins weeks after the Test series against the West Indies. Currently on a restricted gym routine, Cummins is taking precautions to ensure the back issue is resolved, especially given his history of injuries, including persistent back problems and an ankle issue that kept him out of the Champions Trophy earlier.

The pacer stated that experts will "reassess" his condition in a month's time. Cummins also mentioned he would require minimal preparation for the Ashes, even if it means missing Shield games. "I think you're willing to take a few risks and be a little bit aggressive to try and play as many Tests as you can. At this stage of my career, I feel I can get up to speed quicker than when I was younger," he said.

Cummins, who bowled 35.1 overs during the WTC Final loss to South Africa at Lord's in June over four days, experienced a significant increase in his bowling workload during that match after the demanding Indian Premier League season. "Sometimes you just get unlucky and bowl a lot of overs, like in the World Test Championship final, and that's enough to start an injury," he explained. During the West Indies series, Cummins sent down another 49 overs in less than two weeks across the first two Tests.

Reflecting on his injury, Cummins noted that he has missed only one Test due to injury since becoming Test captain four years ago. "It's similar to previous injuries. But I've been lucky; in the last seven or eight years, I haven't had many issues." In 2018, Cummins suffered a full-blown stress fracture, sidelining him for an entire off-season, but he feels this current issue is far less severe. "I've bowled a lot over the last few years, so something bound to happen at some point. Hopefully, I get this right and don't miss much cricket," he concluded.