Pat Cummins to miss NZ T20I tour amid fitness concerns
What's the story
Australian cricket's Test captain, Pat Cummins, is reportedly set to miss the upcoming T20I tour of New Zealand. The decision comes as Cricket Australia prioritizes his fitness ahead of the home Ashes series. According to CODE Sports, the 32-year-old will undergo routine scans on his back after experiencing some tightness since returning from the Caribbean last month.
Upcoming matches
ODI series against India
Despite his absence from the New Zealand tour, Cummins is still expected to feature in October's ODI series against India. He also plans to play at least one Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales before the first Ashes Test in Perth. Fellow Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood confirmed that Test bowlers will follow different programs leading up to the Ashes, with each expected to play multiple Shield games.
Fitness concerns
Australia's pace attack under pressure
The fitness of Australia's bowlers is under scrutiny as fringe pacemen Lance Morris, Spencer Johnson, and Ben Dwarshuis are all nursing injuries ahead of the 2025/26 summer. This puts more pressure on Cummins, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland to remain fit for the five-Test Ashes series. The first match of Australia's three-match T20 tour of New Zealand starts on Wednesday, October 1.
Information
Cummins owns two T20I hat-tricks
The 2024 T20 World Cup saw Cummins become the first bowler to take back-to-back hat-tricks in T20I cricket. He accomplished the milestone against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Coming to his T20I numbers, he boasts 66 scalps across 57 T20Is at an economy of 7.44.