Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has touched down in Perth ahead of schedule, as the national team grapples with a mounting injury crisis just days before the start of the highly anticipated Ashes series.
Captain's Solitary Arrival
Pat Cummins landed at Perth Airport just after midday on Sunday, making an early arrival without the rest of the Australian squad. The injured skipper was accompanied only by a Cricket Australia staff member and was largely left to himself while waiting for his baggage, briefly stopping for a chat with one fan.
His teammates are expected to arrive in Western Australia in the coming days, with the first Test scheduled to begin at Optus Stadium on Friday.
Recovery Race Against Time
Cummins is currently sidelined with a flare-up of bone stress in his back that will keep him out of at least the opening Test of the series. The star fast bowler has been gradually increasing his bowling intensity in recent weeks, completing a session at approximately 90 percent of his top pace at the SCG last Tuesday.
Speaking earlier this month, Cummins expressed optimism about returning for the second Test in Brisbane, which starts on December 4. "It's probably not until you get a bit closer that you can really know where you're at," Cummins said. "The good thing is that I'm pulling up well and the body is great. We're trying to keep that second Test as a live option."
Australia's Bowling Woes Worsen
Australia's fast bowling depth suffered another significant blow on Saturday when Cricket Australia confirmed that Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the first Test with a hamstring strain. The injury occurred during a Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales, with follow-up scans revealing the issue after initial imaging had cleared him.
The setback continues a troubling pattern for the injury-prone quick, who has now missed 12 of 29 home Tests since the 2019/20 season began. Hazlewood joins New South Wales teammate Sean Abbott on the sidelines, after Abbott suffered what CA described as a "moderate grade hamstring injury" in the same match.
With two fast bowlers now ruled out from the original 15-player squad for the Perth Test, South Australian seamer Brendan Doggett is set to receive his baggy green, while Queensland veteran Michael Neser has been called into the Australian squad as reinforcement.
The early arrival of Cummins in Perth suggests the Australian camp is taking every possible measure to manage their captain's recovery, while simultaneously addressing the sudden shortage of experienced fast bowling options ahead of cricket's most storied rivalry.
