Australian cricket coach Andrew McDonald has revealed that captain Pat Cummins is highly "unlikely" to participate in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy due to an ongoing ankle issue.
The injury follows a demanding workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Cummins bowled 167 overs, taking 25 wickets at an average of 21.36.
Speaking with mediapersons, McDonald said, “Pat Cummins has not been able to resume any type of bowling, so he is heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain.”
McDonald identified Steve Smith and Travis Head as leading candidates for the captaincy role.
“Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we have been having conversations with while we have been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They will be the two that we look at for that leadership post,” he said.
Acknowledging their leadership experience, McDonald noted, “They are the two obvious ones. Steve has done a great job here in the [first] Test match. He has done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. So it is between those two.”
Cummins’ absence comes as a significant blow to Australia’s plans, with fast bowler Josh Hazlewood also facing a race against time to regain fitness following a hip issue. Hazlewood’s injury emerged shortly after recovering from side and calf problems, which led him to miss three India Tests and the Sri Lanka Test series.
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McDonald added, “Josh Hazlewood is battling to be fit at the moment. So that medical information will land over the next couple of days, and we will be able to shore that up and let everyone know the direction.”
Australia’s injury concerns are not limited to their pace attack. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh is set to miss the Champions Trophy due to a back injury, though he may still feature for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
While a replacement has not been named, McDonald confirmed that Beau Webster, known for his seam bowling abilities, is being considered for the ODI squad against Sri Lanka.
“Beau Webster could be added to the ODI squad due to his seam bowling abilities,” McDonald said.
Other all-rounders, Aaron Hardie and Marcus Stoinis, are also dealing with injuries. Hardie has been troubled by quad problems throughout the summer and has only recently resumed bowling, while Stoinis experienced hamstring tightness during the ongoing SA20 league with Durban Super Giants.
The potential absence of Cummins and Hazlewood may pave the way for Sean Abbott’s return to the ODI setup. Spencer Johnson is also in contention, having been set to travel to Sri Lanka as cover for the ODI squad.
Australia’s ODI players, excluding those involved in the Test series against Sri Lanka, are scheduled to fly to the island nation for two matches on Thursday.
With captaincy decisions looming and injury woes mounting, Australia’s preparations for the Champions Trophy face considerable uncertainty.
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