Australia will be without regular captain Pat Cummins for the upcoming Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, despite the fast bowler featuring in only one match of the ongoing Ashes series. Cricket Australia confirmed that Cummins has been rested from the fourth Test as part of a workload management plan, following recent injury concerns.
Cummins had already missed the first two Tests of the series due to an inner-ear issue, which affected his balance and ruled him out of action. He made his return in the third Test at Adelaide, where Australia sealed a series win, but the fast bowler had indicated soon after that match that his workload would be carefully managed going forward.
With the Ashes already retained, the team management has opted to give Cummins additional rest rather than risk aggravating his condition. The decision is seen as precautionary, especially with a busy international calendar ahead and Cummins having only recently recovered enough to return to competitive cricket.
In Cummins’s absence, Steve Smith is expected to return to the playing XI and lead the side, subject to his own fitness clearance. Australia have also reshuffled their squad, calling up Jhye Richardson to bolster the pace attack and Todd Murphy as cover in the spin department, after Nathan Lyon was ruled out with a torn right hamstring that will require surgery.
Cricket Australia has not ruled out Cummins’s return later in the series. His availability for the New Year’s Test in Sydney will depend on how his recovery progresses over the coming days.
In summary, Cummins’s absence is not due to a fresh injury or loss of form, but a deliberate move by selectors and medical staff to manage his workload after his inner-ear issue, especially with the Ashes result already decided and long-term fitness being prioritised.
