Australia captain Pat Cummins has shared a positive but cautious update on his recovery from a back injury ahead of the Ashes series. The first Test begins on 21 November in Perth, but Cummins has admitted that he might not be fully recovered in time.
Speaking in Sydney on Monday, Cummins said he is still hopeful of making a comeback, but he also understands that time is running short. “I’d say probably less likely than likely, but we’ve still got a bit of time,” he said.
The fast bowler explained that he has started light running sessions and is slowly building up his fitness. “I’m running today and running kind of every second day, and each run is a little bit longer, and then we get into bowling prep next week. So I’m probably a couple of weeks away from 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.”
Cummins further said that he needs to have some overs under his belt in the nets before he can play a Test match.
“You’d want probably at least a month in the nets. If you are to play in a Test match, you want to make sure you’re ready to bowl 20 overs in a day and not have to think about it. Four weeks is pretty tight, but I think somewhere around that mark,” he said.
Despite the setback, Cummins is confident about his long-term health. “It’s a back injury that I haven’t had for about seven or eight years… when I come back, I shouldn’t have to worry about it at all,” he shared.
In case Cummins misses out on the Ashes opener, Scott Boland is most likely to play in his place, with Steve Smith leading the team.
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