Pat Cummins to Focus on Fitness, Misses South Africa Series
Pat Cummins Prioritizes Fitness Ahead of Ashes
Kingston, Jamaica - July 12: Australia's Test captain, Pat Cummins, will not participate in the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa as he aims to enhance his fitness in preparation for the Ashes later this year, according to reports from a sports news outlet.
Previously, Cummins was rested from the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies, alongside teammates Mitchell Starc and Travis Head. Additionally, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who was initially included in the squad for South Africa, will also head back home after the Test series, with Xavier Bartlett stepping in as his replacement.
"I plan to have a solid training period over the next couple of months, around six weeks," Cummins shared with reporters, as noted by the sports news outlet. "I might not be bowling, but I will focus on gym workouts. My body feels quite good, but there are always minor adjustments to make as I prepare for the summer. The upcoming matches will likely be white-ball cricket, including games against New Zealand and India, along with a potential Shield match before the home summer starts," he added.
As the Ashes approach, Cummins, who continues to serve as Australia's ODI captain, has only led the team in two matches since their World Cup victory in 2023. He also missed the Champions Trophy earlier this year due to a persistent ankle issue during the Test series against India.
With the focus shifting to the Ashes, the early matches of the next Sheffield Shield season will be vital for determining Australia's top-order lineup. Sam Konstas will have two more innings against the West Indies to make his case, while Usman Khawaja has the same opportunity to address concerns about his form. Cameron Green aims to build on his second-innings fifty in Grenada and is expected to play in South Africa before working on his bowling rhythm.
Green remains part of the T20I squad in the West Indies, while Konstas is anticipated to participate in the four-day Australia A tour of India in September. Khawaja, however, may not return until the domestic season resumes for Queensland.
"There’s plenty of Shield cricket ahead and some Australia A matches too," Cummins remarked. "Performing well at the Test level will strengthen your case, and while there’s a connection to the summer, it feels quite distant right now," he noted.
Xavier Bartlett, who has made a strong start to his T20I career with 11 wickets at an average of 14.72 from seven matches, will join the squad in the Caribbean after a successful Major League Cricket (MLC) season with the San Francisco Unicorns, where he currently leads the tournament in wickets.
He will be joined by Jake Fraser-McGurk, who replaces Spencer Johnson, recovering from a back injury sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Fraser-McGurk, who also played for the Unicorns, had a promising start in the MLC but ended with four low scores in his last five innings.
He has accumulated 113 runs from seven T20Is, with a top score of 50 against Scotland last year. However, he faced challenges during this year's IPL with the Delhi Capitals, averaging just 9.16. His performance in the Big Bash League (BBL) for the Melbourne Renegades was also modest, scoring 188 runs at an average of 18.80, with 95 of those runs coming in the final match of the season.
The T20I series against the West Indies is set to commence on July 20, with the first two matches taking place at Sabina Park, followed by three games in St Kitts.