Win Projections to be updated soon
Sydney, 19 September 2025:
Pat Cummins says long gaps between matches give him hope of playing all five Tests in the Ashes, even as the Australia captain manages a back issue.
Cummins, 32, has fronted the media three times this month but has offered little certainty about his fitness ahead of the series, which begins Nov. 21 in Perth.
“The aim is five. Every summer you kind of aim for five,” Cummins said Friday at Penrith’s Howell Oval, where he was promoting climate change initiatives in community sport. “This one might be a little bit different … but the starting aim is for five. Once we get closer, we’re probably going to chat through potentially more realistic situations.”
Australia coach Andrew McDonald this week raised eyebrows when he said Cummins would “partake” in the Ashes, later clarifying the quick would play a “significant” role but not necessarily all five Tests.
Cummins pointed to eight-day breaks between the first three matches as reason to believe he could get through the full series, while conceding Australia’s attack is unlikely to remain unchanged across the summer.
“Most years, at least one of the bowlers normally goes down,” Cummins said. “Joshy (Hazlewood) missed the back half last year. Obviously, conditions change, but you just need that fresh bowler, guys that can come in and bowl 40 overs without blinking.”
The pace ace is unlikely to feature in a warm-up match but could link up with the ODI squad before the Tests to work with medical staff. He also suggested he was comfortable going into the Ashes without a domestic game for New South Wales.
“I don’t think it’s vital,” he said. “Now it’s centre wickets, net sessions, I’ve bowled a lot more overs. I feel like I can get up to Test level pretty quickly.”
Cummins was speaking as the federal government announced $50 million in funding to help sporting clubs deal with climate change and extreme weather. The Test captain co-founded Cricket for Climate in 2021 and said the funding could benefit as many as 500 clubs through projects such as solar panels and batteries.
Meanwhile, Australia was hit with another injury setback Friday as Alex Carey replaced Josh Inglis in the T20 squad for New Zealand. Inglis strained a calf in training and is expected to return for October’s white-ball series against India.
