Pat Cummins’ absence from the T20 World Cup was not a last-minute decision but part of a longer-term calculation shaped by injury management and an unusually heavy international calendar. Australia’s Test and ODI captain has been ruled out of the tournament in Sri Lanka and India, with Ben Dwarshuis drafted into the squad as his replacement.
The 32-year-old fast bowler has been dealing with a back issue since Australia’s tour of the Caribbean last July. His only appearance since then came in the Ashes-clinching victory in Adelaide, a match that also became a turning point in how his workload would be handled. Following the swift retention of the urn, Cummins and Cricket Australia opted to prioritise recovery, sitting him out of the final two Tests of the home summer.
That plan was disrupted by a late complication, which ultimately closed the door on a World Cup return. Speaking about the decision, Cummins acknowledged that the timeframe became too tight to justify the risk.
“It was really unfortunate. I feel pretty good, just a minor setback and just ran out of time really. I'll rest up for a few weeks and go from there. We knew after the [Adelaide] Test match we were going to need somewhere between four and eight weeks to let the bone settle right down before then building back up. Initially, we thought it might only be four weeks, because I was feeling really good, but just had a follow-up scan. They thought it probably needs another couple of weeks, so the timeline just became a bit too tight,” Cummins, an Amazon Prime Video ambassador, told AAP.
Australia’s upcoming schedule loomed large in the decision-making. From August, they will host Bangladesh before touring South Africa for the first time since 2018, followed by a four-Test home series against New Zealand. Beyond that lies an exhausting 2027, featuring a five-Test tour of India, the MCG’s 150th anniversary Test against England, an away Ashes, an ODI World Cup and a possible World Test Championship final at Lord’s. Cummins said managing his body now was essential to surviving what lies ahead.
“We thought the first half of the year was a pretty good time to be conservative with the amount of cricket that's coming up. We'll get it right, then hopefully that will mean you won't have to worry about it, and you can just go out and play all those Test matches. Whereas, if you're not careful with it now and it flares up, you're chasing tail a bit,” he added.
Cummins aims comeback in IPL
Despite the setback, Cummins is targeting a return in the IPL, where he captains Sunrisers Hyderabad, when the tournament begins on March 26.
"We'll just be guided by my back. We'll have another scan in a few weeks, and if it's good, then we'll have a slow build-up. T20s are a little bit easier to get up for [than Tests], that's why I was so close to getting up for this World Cup."