Pat Cummins' Back Stress Forces Him to Miss India, New Zealand Series; Ashes Preparation in Doubt

Australia's cricket captain Pat Cummins will miss the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand and India due to lumbar bone stress in his lower back, discovered during a recent scan. The injury setback compromises his Ashes preparations, forcing him to skip the three ODIs starting October 19 against India, which could feature batting stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.The Test and ODI skipper hasn't played since the West Indies Test series, where his bowling rate was notably lower than usual. He missed the five T20Is against West Indies and both white-ball series against South Africa.The break was initially planned to give Cummins a 10-week gap to build physical strength before the Ashes, scheduled to begin November 21 in Perth. However, back soreness persisted longer than expected after the West Indies tour.A Cricket Australia statement detailed the situation: "Cummins was rested from the recent T20 series against the West Indies and South Africa. Despite this planned de-load period, Cummins has experienced some ongoing lower back pain following the West Indies Test tour."The statement further explained: "Further investigation has identified a level of lumbar bone stress that will require further management over the coming months. Cummins won't be considered for the upcoming limited-overs series against India and will continue his rehabilitation plan with a return to bowling to be determined as part of his Ashes preparation."Cummins' early career was marked by stress fractures that kept him from playing Tests between his 2011 debut and his second game in India in 2017.Since 2017, he has shown remarkable durability, managing minor hamstring and ankle injuries without significant impact on his playing time.The Australian captain has consistently bowled over 400 overs annually for the past three years. However, 2023 has seen a significant reduction in his workload, with only 175.1 overs bowled in nine months.His rehabilitation progress will be closely monitored as Cricket Australia aims to have him ready for the crucial Ashes series.