Win Projections to be updated soon
Brisbane, 9 December 2025:
Australia captain Pat Cummins is set to return for his first Test in nearly five months, but fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes after another injury setback.
Coach Andrew McDonald said Tuesday that Hazlewood, who first injured his hamstring during a Sheffield Shield match last month and then suffered an Achilles issue last week, will take no further part in the series against England. Hazlewood will instead target a return for Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign in February.
“Really flat for him,” McDonald told reporters. “A couple of setbacks that we didn’t see coming. We thought he’d play a huge part in the series, and we really feel for him that he won’t get that opportunity.”
Cummins, meanwhile, is expected to lead Australia in next week’s third Test in Adelaide. The 32-year-old ramped up his bowling workload at Allan Border Field last week after recovering faster than expected from a lower-back injury. He is set to be named in a 15-man squad on Wednesday, resuming the captaincy from Steve Smith.
Cummins last played a Test in July during the tour of the Caribbean, where he first experienced back pain. Despite not having any match time before Adelaide, McDonald said the team is confident the captain will cope with the demands of an Ashes Test.
“He simulated pretty much what a match will look like out there with multiple spells,” McDonald said. “We feel as though he’ll be as best prepared as can be. His body’s ready to go. Barring anything else happening in the next week, I’d expect Pat to be tossing the coin.”
McDonald added that Mitchell Starc, the series’ leading wicket-taker with 18 in two Tests, played through a minor left-side niggle in Brisbane but is expected to be available. With tight turnarounds between the final three Tests, selectors are likely to rotate fast bowlers to manage workloads.
Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Brendon Doggett are among those in contention for pace options in Adelaide, while Jhye Richardson remains a late-series possibility after bowling 26 overs for Australia A last week.
A squad announcement is expected Wednesday.
