24 h. ago Australia turn to controversial former captain as Pat Cummins injury blow confirmed

The Ashes gets underway in Perth next month but hosts Australia will be without captain Pat Cummins having already confirmed his replacement ahead of the first test

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28 h. ago Steve Smith to captain Australia in First Ashes Test as Pat Cummins ruled out

Cummins will not recover from back injury in time for next month’s series opener against England in Perth

Politics

36 h. ago Pat Cummins ruled out of first Ashes Test in major blow for Australia

The Australia captain has not recovered in time from a long-term back injury

Politics

37 h. ago Pat Cummins ruled out of first Ashes Test, with Steve Smith to captain Australia

Bowler resumes running but will not make series opener in Perth32-year-old says he ‘expects to return to bowling shortly’Pat Cummins is officially out of the first Ashes Test as he continues his recovery from a stress injury in his back, with Steve Smith to reassume the captaincy of Australia in the series opener against England next month.Cummins has not bowled since Australia’s 3-0 series defeat of West Indies in July and had been in serious doubt for the match in Perth on 21 November. After months of speculation over whether he would recover in time, Cricket Australia on Monday finally confirmed that the quick would have to sit out the game at Optus Stadium. Continue reading...

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7 d. ago Steve Smith expects ‘seamless transition’ if he fills in for injured Pat Cummins as Australia’s Ashes captain

Smith is likely to captain Australia in the Ashes opener if Cummins fails to recover for the Perth curtain-raiser.

Events

7 d. ago Steve Smith expects ‘seamless transition’ if he fills in for injured Pat Cummins

Smith is likely to captain Australia in the Ashes opener if Cummins fails to recover for the Perth curtain-raiser.

Events

9 d. ago Australia outclass India to cruise to victory as rain disrupts opening ODI

Captain Mitch Marsh anchored a comfortable chase after Australia’s bowlers impressed in a rain-reduced affair

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1 week ago The Spin | Beware the quiet man: Ashes folklore is littered with unlikely names stepping up

Cummins’ absence is not quite cause for unfettered English celebration – Boland has ripped them apart beforeHave you heard about Big Pat’s back? You must have by now. The eyes and ears of the cricketing world are zeroed in on a locus of around 10 inches of Pat Cummins’ lumbar region. Hushed whispers about the Australia Test captain’s “stress injury” after his side’s tour of West Indies in July became a rumbling concern as the weeks passed and there was no reassuring statement from the Cummins camp. Ideally it would have been delivered by the man himself with a megawatt smile, just letting everyone know that he was locked in for full part in the Ashes series.By contrast, earlier this week a more circumspect Cummins put his chances of playing at Perth in the first Test on 21 November as “probably less likely than likely”. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Pat Cummins: Australia captain makes new admission over fitness for First Ashes Test

Recent reports claimed that influential skipper was in danger of missing the entire series against England with lingering back injury

Events

2 w. ago Australia captain Pat Cummins ‘less than likely’ to be fit for first Ashes Test

The fast bowler is recovering from lumbar bone stress in his lower back and has not played since July

Politics

2 w. ago Australia captain Pat Cummins says he is unlikely to be fit for first Ashes Test

The fast bowler is recovering from lumbar bone stress in his lower back and has not played since July.

Politics

2 w. ago Pat Cummins concedes he is ‘weeks away’ from bowling and unlikely to play in first Ashes Test

Australia captain to learn this week whether he will be fit for openerStar quick says he is ‘less likely than likely’ to face England in PerthPat Cummins has admitted he is unlikely to play in the Ashes opener, conceding a return to proper bowling is still some time away.Cummins is expected to learn this week whether he will be able to feature in Perth on 21 November, with officials conceding the quick is facing a narrow timeline. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Pat Cummins: Australia captain 'surprised' by reports he could miss entire Ashes series

It had been suggested that lingering back problem would definitely rule skipper out of First Test and potentially all five

Politics

2 w. ago Australia captain Pat Cummins could miss the whole of the Ashes

The fast bowler will definitely miss the first test against Ben Stokes' England with a back problem and Steve Smith may lead the Wallabies for the whole series

Politics

2 w. ago Australia handed huge Ashes blow as Pat Cummins faces series

Pat Cummins has been struggling with a back injury throughout the year and scans have confirmed that the issue has still not healed, with the Australia captain potentially missing the entire Ashes series

Politics

2 w. ago Pat Cummins expected to miss first Ashes Test as doubts grow over fitness for entire series

Australia captain set to be ruled out of opener against England in PerthStar quick yet to return to bowling as he recovers from back injuryAustralia captain Pat Cummins is expected to miss the Ashes opener in Perth as doubts grow around his availability for the entire Test series against England.Cummins has been sidelined with a back injury that the latest scan revealed has not yet healed. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Pat Cummins issues major Ashes injury update as Australia announcement imminent

Pat Cummins' involvement in the Ashes has been one of the biggest talking points ahead of the highly-anticipated series, as Australia's captain remains sidelined through injury

Events