Pat Cummins' participation in Australia's T20 World Cup campaign is uncertain after the Test captain made a successful return from injury in the Ashes. Cummins played a key role in Australia's series-clinching win in Adelaide, taking six wickets, but will miss the remaining Tests in Melbourne and Sydney due to back stress issues.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that Cummins will not play any further part in the Ashes series. 'We were taking on some risk … we've now won the series, and that was the goal,' McDonald said at the MCG. 'To position him for further risk and jeopardise him long-term is not something that we want to do.'
Cummins had been dealing with back problems since the tour of the West Indies in July and did not play in the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane. Despite bowling well in the nets, the 32-year-old was managed carefully to ensure he could contribute to the Ashes victory.
Australia's T20 World Cup campaign begins on February 11 against Ireland in Colombo, Sri Lanka. McDonald noted that Cummins will undergo a scan to assess his back condition. 'Looking forward to the World Cup, whether he will be there or not, I can't really say,' he added.
Cummins captains the Test and ODI teams, but all-rounder Mitch Marsh leads Australia in the T20 format. Australia won the T20 World Cup in 2021 but have had underwhelming performances in the last two editions.
