Australia’s hopes of fielding a full-strength squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy have taken a major hit, with captain Pat Cummins deemed “highly unlikely” to recover in time from his lingering ankle issue.
Head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the setback while also revealing that Steven Smith and Travis Head are in contention to lead the team in Cummins’ absence.
The Aussie captain is not the only player in danger of missing the upcoming tournament, with fast bowler Josh Hazlewood also racing against time to regain fitness.
Cummins, who recently skipped the Test series in Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child, has been struggling with an ankle problem exacerbated by his heavy workload in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Despite efforts to recover, the Australian skipper has yet to resume bowling, making his participation in the Champions Trophy highly improbable.
With Pat Cummins and Hazlewood potentially unavailable for the Champions Trophy, Australian selectors may turn to Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson as replacements.
Abbott, who missed out on the initial Champions Trophy squad due to indifferent ODI form, could find himself back in contention. Meanwhile, Johnson is already set to travel to Sri Lanka as a backup option for the ODI squad.
Another potential addition is leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha, who has been flown to Sri Lanka for development purposes. McDonald hinted that Sangha could feature in the two ODIs against Sri Lanka before traveling with the team to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
With Cummins sidelined, Australia also has the task of naming a new captain, and McDonald confirmed that discussions have centered around Smith and Head.
“Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we’ve been having conversations with while we’ve been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home,” McDonald told SEN. “Steve has done a great job here in the Test match. He’s also led in ODIs before, so it will be between those two.”
The final decision is expected in the coming days as Australia finalizes its squad.
With Pat Cummins all but ruled out, Hazlewood racing against time, and Mitchell Marsh already sidelined, Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign faces early turbulence.
The leadership decision between Smith and Head, alongside crucial injury updates, will shape the final squad heading into the tournament.
For now, Australia must navigate through a tricky ODI series in Sri Lanka before shifting focus to the global stage.
