Australia’s captain Pat Cummins will miss the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering ankle soreness.
Cummins, who recently led Australia to a 3-1 victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, is currently on paternity leave following the birth of his second child. His travel to Sri Lanka had been uncertain due to the injury. Australia’s Chief Selector, George Bailey, confirmed that Cummins opted for paternity leave and is awaiting further medical scans for his sore ankle. Bailey stated that the team will have more information on Cummins’ condition after the scan results are in.
“Pat’s obviously on paternity leave for the next little bit. He’s got a little bit of a sore ankle as well, so in the next week or so, he’s got a scan coming, and we’ll get a bit more information around where that’s at,” Bailey said, as quoted by India Today.
The absence of Cummins in the Sri Lanka series may also affect his participation in the Champions Trophy 2025, which begins on February 19. Bailey indicated uncertainty regarding his participation but remains hopeful about Cummins’ recovery.
“Not really sure yet. We’ll have to wait and see where that scan comes back and where it’s tracking,” Bailey said when asked about the pacer’s status for the Champions Trophy. Bailey also provided an update on pacer Josh Hazlewood’s recovery, confirming that Hazlewood is progressing well with his calf injury, though he was not selected for this squad due to tightness. Bailey expressed confidence in Hazlewood’s fitness for the Champions Trophy.