- First Ashes Test is in Perth on November 21
Injured captain Pat Cummins will play a ‘significant’ part in the Ashes but may not feature in all five Tests, coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed.
McDonald concedes uncertainty remains around Cummins amid the skipper’s back injury.
But he dismissed speculation Cummins could miss the highly-anticipated Test series against England starting on November 21 in Perth.
‘We are confident that he’s going to partake in the Ashes so I think to sensationalise that he’s not would be an over-reaction,’ McDonald told SEN Radio.
‘It’s not ideal…he is working through a program.
‘It was a routine scan on the back of the West Indies (tour), he does have a lumbar bone stress issue there, so he will just work through what his return to play looks like.
Australia’s injured captain Pat Cummins will play a ‘significant’ part in the Ashes – but may not feature in all five Tests, coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed
McDonald also confirmed Steve Smith will take over as captain in any absence of Cummins (pictured)
‘We have got time. If it happened any closer (to the Ashes) then you would have to be making key decisions around what it all looks like.
‘But we have got time, a lot more information to come, and as I said, we’re really hopeful that he will take a key part in the Ashes.’
Cummins won’t feature in Australia’s white-ball series against New Zealand and India preceding the Ashes.
McDonald expected the fast bowler to be around the white-ball squad as part of his rehabilitation, but cast doubt on any of Australia’s Test bowlers featuring in all five Ashes Tests.
‘From the get-go, we never really planned for five Test matches for most of our fast bowlers,’ he said.
‘Over the last couple of years we have been lucky with shortened games early in the summer, to be able to deliver five Test matches (for a fast bowler).
‘We will see what that looks like for Pat.
‘But there is a lot more information to come…we look forward to our captain taking a significant part in the Ashes.’
Veteran batsman Steve Smith will take over as captain in any absence of Cummins.
‘We are well-enough drilled, Steve Smith has got a lot of captaincy experience,’ McDonald said.
‘We haven’t really got to that conversation yet because there’s no finality or timeline on Patty.
‘It seems an obvious choice. We are well covered, he (Smith) understands how the team operates and he’s a very good leader in his own right.’
