'Less likely than likely': Pat Cummins drops brutal Ashes fitness truth bomb
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Australian captain Pat Cummins has cast doubt on his fitness for the start of the upcoming Ashes series, confirming it is "probably less likely than likely" that he will feature in the first Test against England in Perth starting November 21.
Cummins has been sidelined by a lower back stress injury revealed after the team's tour of the West Indies in July.
With the injury failing to progress as hoped, it raises major doubts about his ability to feature in the entire home Ashes series.
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Australian skipper Pat Cummins looks on. Getty
Speaking to reporters at Kayo's summer of cricket launch on Monday, the 32-year-old said he is targeting a return early in the series. However, that goal is complicated by the fact that he has not yet resumed bowling training.
"I'm running today, and every second day," he said.
"Each run is getting a little longer, and then we kind of get into bowling next week.
"Probably a couple of weeks away before putting on the spikes and bowling out on turf.
"It's been a good couple of weeks. Each session feels better and better."
The right-arm quick will likely need a minimum of four weeks of training to build his bowling loads sufficiently before he can target England's top order.
Australian captain Pat Cummins celebrates by lifting the Ashes Urn after successfully retaining the series in 2023. Alex Davidson via getty Images
Cummins confirmed that timeline.
"You want at least probably a month in the nets," he said.
"If you're playing a Test match, you want to make sure you're right to bowl 20 overs in a day and you don't really have to think about it.
"Four weeks is pretty tight, but I reckon somewhere around that mark."
Even then, Cummins admitted it would be difficult for him to have an uninterrupted series.
"It's a bit early to know," he said of how many Tests he could expect to sit out.
"It's pretty hard to go from not bowling at all to [playing] five Tests, so [the] first step is trying to have a shot at being right."
Cummins conceded the injury was frustrating, but offered perspective by noting his largely injury-free run since returning to the Test side in 2017.
Pat Cummins with the match ball during the WTC final against South Africa on at Lord's. ICC via Getty Images
While the paceman was injury-plagued early in his career, forcing him to wait six years between his first and second Tests, issues have been rare since.
"Some days I'm kind of annoyed because it's the Ashes and a big summer," Cummins said.
"Other days, I'm a little more realistic. The last seven or eight years, I've had uninterrupted home summers, so I've had a really good run as a fast bowler.
"Someone like Joshy (Hazlewood) has missed the last couple of times. He's been a little more unlucky, so maybe it's my turn.
"With such a big summer ahead, you want to be in the mixer. Even with the India one-day series and T20 series, I wish I were a part of that.
"If it's not to be, it's part of cricket getting injuries."
In Cummins' absence, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will lead Australia's pace attack, with Scott Boland the likely replacement for the injured skipper.
