‘Would probably need...,’ Pat Cummins provides updates on his back injury
Australia captain Pat Cummins provided an update on his back injury ahead of the Ashes series, indicating he may not play in the first Test against England in Perth starting November 21.
Last Updated: 12.23 PM, Oct 13, 2025
Australia captain Pat Cummins has provided an update on his sore back ahead of the Ashes series, acknowledging it’s unlikely he will play in the first Test against England in Perth, but he hasn’t ruled it out completely.
Cummins is suffering a back injury
Cummins has been managing a back injury and has not yet resumed bowling in training as the opening Test, starting November 21 in Perth, approaches.
While he admits the chances of playing the first match are slim, he remains cautiously optimistic about returning in time.
He said in Sydney, "I'm running today and running kind of every second day, and each runs a little bit longer, and then we get into bowling prep next week. So I'm probably a couple of weeks away before actually putting on the spikes and bowling out on the turf. But it's been a good couple of weeks. Each session feels better and better."
He would still need one more month
Cummins understands he will need at least a month of net bowling before the Test to be fully ready to bowl 20 overs without concerns, which is a tight timeline.
"If you are to play in a Test match, you want to make sure you are right to bowl 20 overs in a day and you don't have to think about it. Four weeks is pretty tight, but I think somewhere around that mark,” Cummins added.
Despite the setback, he is confident this back injury won’t be a long-term issue. Cummins noted this is a problem he hasn’t faced for seven or eight years and has played extensively since then.
He is hopeful that by managing it properly, he can return stronger and compete in as many Ashes matches as possible, as well as lead Australia at the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
The Ashes series schedule is as follows:
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