Pat Cummins ruled out of white‑ball games before Ashes with back “hot spot”; cleared of fracture, rehab starts

Australia captain Pat Cummins has been diagnosed with lumbar bone stress (a back “hot spot”) and will skip all white‑ball matches against New Zealand and India before the Ashes. Scans have ruled out a stress fracture, but the medical team wants him to rest and rehab so that he can be ready for the first Ashes Test on November 21 in Perth. Selectors say they still expect him to be fit in time, but his build‑up is now far from ideal.

What exactly happened

• After the Caribbean Test tour, Cummins reported lingering back soreness during a planned 10‑week de‑load (he had already skipped T20s vs West Indies and both series vs South Africa). A routine scan showed lumbar bone stress, which can precede a fracture if not managed. He’s cleared of any fracture and begins targeted rehab.

• Cricket Australia confirmed he won’t be considered for the NZ T20Is or India ODIs. A return‑to‑bowling date will be set based on how the hot spot settles.

Why this matters for the Ashes

• Cummins has bowled only 175.1 overs across nine months in 2025, much lower than his 400+ overs in each of the previous three years. Even with some domestic games and the early Ashes Tests, he’s unlikely to hit that usual workload this year. Sharpness, not stamina, is the main risk.

• Last summer he entered the Test season a bit “underdone” and looked rusty in the Perth opener, but then peaked late, winning Player of the Match in Melbourne and taking five in Sydney. Australia will hope for a similar arc—fresh but ready—rather than undercooked.

Could he play anything before Perth?

There’s a narrow window. New South Wales have a domestic one‑dayer on November 3 and a Shield game starting November 10. Selectors say Shield overs are “possible” if rehab goes perfectly, but Cummins playing zero cricket and timing his run‑up to the Ashes is also on the table, given his experience.

What if he misses a Test?

• Steven Smith would likely stand in as captain—he has led six Tests in Cummins’ absence since 2021. Travis Head is a vice‑captain but Smith is the first‑choice deputy when in the XI.

• Seam depth: Scott Boland is the first cab off the rank. If there are further issues to Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc, Australia can turn to Michael Neser, Sean Abbott or Brendan Doggett. Jhye Richardson is racing back from shoulder surgery; Lance Morris is out after back surgery.

How Australia may tweak selection

• Allrounder balance could change. With Cameron Green resuming bowling after last year’s back surgery, Australia had considered playing only one seam‑bowling allrounder. If Cummins needs load protection within matches, picking Green alongside someone like Beau Webster gives five seam options plus Nathan Lyon to spread overs.

• Starc has retired from T20Is to prioritise Tests and could tune up with ODIs vs India and at least one Shield game. Hazlewood’s loads will be carefully managed across NZ T20Is, India ODIs and Shield after recent side/calf issues.

Bottom line for Indian fans

Cummins won’t feature in the ODI series against India but is expected to be back for the Ashes. Australia will manage Starc and Hazlewood closely and could experiment with an extra allrounder to share the bowling load. The Ashes opener at Perth (Nov 21) is still the big target, with a cautious path to keep Cummins fresh and pain‑free