Sports

Australia to Carry Injured Skipper Cummins into T20 World Cup

6:16 pm - January 03, 2026
Sports

Pat Cummins in 2025.

SYDNEY : Australia is prepared to roll the dice on captain Pat Cummins for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, even if he remains sidelined for the opening matches of the tournament.

Chief selector George Bailey confirmed the strategy at the SCG today, drawing direct parallels to the successful gamble taken with Travis Head during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Cummins, who has struggled with a persistent back stress issue throughout the current Ashes series, has already been ruled out of the preceding Pakistan series in January.

“Patty might be a bit later… there’s an entry point at some point,” Bailey told reporters. “Hopefully we can manage and carry a squad until that point. We’ve obviously got some good all-round skills and spin options to structure the team differently in the meantime.”

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood bowl during a practise session.

Australia’s favorable draw in the initial stage—facing Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman—provides the luxury of time. The selection panel believes the squad’s depth can secure a top-two finish in the group while Cummins completes his rehabilitation.

While Cummins’ last back scan was described as “awesome,” he isn’t the only concern. Josh Hazlewood (Achilles) and Tim David (hamstring) have also been named in the 15-man squad despite current injuries. Bailey expressed confidence that Hazlewood and David would be “online” by the start of the tournament, whereas Cummins’ return is expected to be more gradual.

Glenn Maxwell.

If Cummins is unavailable for the early fixtures, the pace attack will be spearheaded by Hazlewood, Xavier Bartlett, and Nathan Ellis, supported by all-rounders Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis. This follows the T20 international retirement of veteran Mitchell Starc in 2025.

Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith.