SYDNEY: Australian Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has revealed that his desire to play as many Test matches as possible during an extremely busy 18-month schedule was a major reason for his withdrawal from the T20 World Cup.
According to Cricket Australia, Cummins stated: “I feel pretty good right now, but missing the World Cup is really unfortunate. We anticipated needing 4 to 8 weeks after the Adelaide Test, but the latest scan led doctors to recommend additional time.”
The fast bowler, who has been dealing with a back injury, explained that Australia’s upcoming schedule is unusually demanding.
It includes a home Test series against Bangladesh starting in August, a tour of South Africa, a series against New Zealand, followed by a five-Test tour of India in 2027, the Ashes, the ODI World Cup, and a potential World Test Championship final.
He added: “I didn’t want to spend the next 18 months chasing injuries. If I don’t take care now, problems could worsen later.”
Notably, Australia recently suffered a 3-0 whitewash defeat to Pakistan in a T20I series, in which Cummins did not participate. He will also miss the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup (to be held in Sri Lanka and India).
Cummins has been excluded from Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup due to his back injury, with fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis named as his replacement.
