Cricket Australia announced on Monday that Steve Smith will take Pat Cummins’ place as captain for the first Ashes Test in Perth next month due to the pacer’s injury.
A lower-back injury has kept Cummins out of action since July, and he was already a serious concern for the series opener against England, which begins on November 21.
The 32-year-old may be able to participate in the day-night second Test in Brisbane starting on December 4, according to coach Andrew McDonald, who stated that Cummins had resumed running and will return to bowling this week.
“It takes four plus weeks to get him up and running, and we’ve run out of time, unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second test match,” McDonald told reporters in Canberra.
“He’ll be back bowling this week, and that’s a huge step … so we’re on the journey to that second test match, and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome.”
Since his maiden Test match against England in the 2017–18 series, Cummins has been a constant member of Australia’s Ashes team, helping them win back the urn and keep it ever since.
McDonald acknowledged that it was not ideal to lose his skipper and best fast bowler for the first Test of a high-profile series, but he said there had been enough of time to prepare backup plans.
Scott Boland is almost set to replace Cummins in the bowling attack at Perth Stadium with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, even though the Australia team for the series has not yet been revealed.
Given Australia’s depth in the fast-bowling department, Boland has had few Test-level opportunities over the years, but he has typically performed when called upon.
The 36-year-old has taken 62 wickets at an average of 16.53 in his 14 Tests, and he is especially effective on Australia’s hard pitches.
“When you talk about Scott Boland being the potential replacement, it’s not a bad position to be in,” McDonald added.
“And I suppose you get excited about when (Cummins) does come back. What an injection that will be to the group, a fully fit Pat Cummins returning at some stage during the Ashes.”
Despite being fired as captain in 2018 due to his involvement in the Newlands ball-tampering incident, Smith has captained the squad six times due to Cummins’ absence.
“We flip into Steve Smith being the captain, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have such an experienced captain himself,” McDonald said.
“They’re a good working couple, so to speak … and Paddy will be around the group as well. So he’ll come to Perth with us, I can declare that.”
McDonald said that even though Mitchell Marsh stated last week that he would be watching the Ashes series with a beer in hand, the selectors would still take into account a Test comeback for Australia’s white-ball skipper.
“We would be comfortable picking someone, and if you want to put a name to it Mitch Marsh, out of white-ball cricket if we felt like that was going to benefit the Test team,” he said.
“We feel he’s batting as well as he has for a long period of time … and we still haven’t given up on Mitch Marsh’s Test career.”
