Australia’s squad is facing multiple setbacks ahead of the Champions Trophy, with Mitchell Marsh already ruled out and now doubts surrounding Pat Cummins’ participation due to injury. There’s also growing concern over Josh Hazlewood’s fitness.
The Australian ODI team was scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on Wednesday to play a two-match series before the Champions Trophy, but Pat Cummins will not be on the flight to Colombo. Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that Cummins, who is recovering from an injury, has not been able to start bowling yet, making his chances of playing in the Champions Trophy very slim.
Coach McDonald also revealed that either Steven Smith or Travis Head will lead the team in the absence of Cummins.
Earlier, due to injury, Mitchell Marsh was already ruled out of the squad. Now, with Cummins’ situation uncertain, the team’s plans have been disrupted further. Hazlewood’s recovery is also in question, creating a challenging situation for Australia.
Cummins will miss the Sri Lanka Test series as he is staying home to support his wife during the birth of their second child. However, even without his break, he was not expected to feature in the series due to his ankle injury, which surfaced after taking on extra bowling load during the Border-Gavaskar series.
Although there was initial hope for Cummins’ recovery before the Champions Trophy, Coach McDonald confirmed that those hopes have now faded.
“Pat Cummins still hasn’t started bowling, so the chances of him playing are very slim. That means we need a new captain. During our discussions with Pat about the Champions Trophy, the names of Steven Smith and Travis Head came up for consideration,” McDonald said.
“Both names were expected to come up. Steven did a great job as captain in the first Test match, and he has always been excellent in ODIs. We will choose between the two of them.”
McDonald also expressed disappointment over Cummins’ injury and voiced concern about Hazlewood’s situation.
“Pat’s chances of playing are almost nonexistent, and that’s really disappointing. Josh Hazlewood is also fighting to get fit. We should have more medical updates in the next couple of days and will have a clearer understanding of where we stand.”
With Cummins out, there’s an opportunity for Sean Abbott to rejoin the team. If Hazlewood doesn’t recover in time, Spencer Johnson could be given a chance. If the team opts for an additional spinner, Tanveer Sangha, who is with the team as a development player during the current Test series, could also be considered.
As for Marsh’s replacement, Australia hasn’t yet named a direct substitute, but all-rounder Beau Webster may get a look-in. All-rounder Cameron Green, however, remains unavailable due to his ongoing focus on playing in the World Test Championship final.
