Pat Cummins is “hugely unlikely” to be fir for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy while there’s also doubts surroundings the fitness of Josh Hazelwood, according to Australia head coach Andrew McDonald.
Both Cummins and Hazelwood were named without riders in Australia’s provisional 15-man squad, with Cummins named as the designated captain, but injury concerns to both of them have thrown a curveball at selection plans.
Andrew McDonald giving the injury update:
“Patty [Pat Cummins] is hugely unlikely which is a bit of a shame and we’ve also got Josh Hazelwood who is battling at the moment,” McDonald told SEN radio. “Medical information will land over the next couple of days. We’ll be able to sure that up and let everyone know the direction.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald has put a serious question mark over Pat Cummins’s participation in the #ChampionsTrophy2025, telling SEN that Australia’s ODI skipper hasn’t started bowling yet. Cummins has been nursing an injury. Josh Hazlewood is uncertain as well.
Photo: X pic.twitter.com/KgKww8oxob
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) February 5, 2025
Cummins did not travel with the team to Sri Lanka as he is attending the birth of his second child but he had also been managing an ankle issue during the five-Test series against India. Now it seems that the recovery might take longer than Australia thought, forcing them to look at a fast bowler and a stand-in captain of the side. Hazlewood, on the other hand, suffered a side strain during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was later ruled out of the series with a calf strain, but there is little clarity at the moment about his current condition.
“At the moment Pat Cummins hasn’t been able to resume any type of bowling, so he’s heavily unlikely. That would mean that we do need a captain,” McDonald said. “That (decision to find the replacement captain) will unfold in the next couple of days.”
Smith or Travis Head to be the captain?
Steve Smith, who is currently leading the Test side in Sri Lanka, and Travis Head are the two in line to replace Cummins as captain at the ICC event.
“Smudgy [Steve Smith] and Travis Head are the two (options) we’ve been having conversations with,” McDonald revealed. “Steve has done a great job here in the Test match, he’s done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. It’ll be between those two.”
Australia play a couple of ODIs in Sri Lanka before traveling to Pakistan for their opening fixture against England in Lahore on February 22.
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