Hazlewood Cummins Likely To Be Ruled Out
Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, has indicated that Pat Cummins is “hugely unlikely” to participate in the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy with uncertainty regarding Josh Hazlewood’s fitness.
While Cummins and Hazlewood are due to be included without problem in Australia’s provisional 15, with Cummins being the designated captain, if both of them are injured, it could cause a change in the selection plans.
“Patty is hugely unlikely which is unfortunate and then we’ve also got Josh Hazlewood who is battling at the moment,” said McDonald on SEN radio. “Medical information will come through over the next couple of days. We’ll be able to firm that up and let everyone know the direction to move into.”
Cummins has not traveled with the team to Sri Lanka since he is attending the birth of his second child but also struggled through a five-Test series in India due to an ankle issue. Now it appears recovery may take longer than Australia expected, which throws the team into looking for a fast bowler and a stand-in captain. On the other hand, Hazlewood suffered a side strain in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was ruled out of that series as well with a calf strain, but there is as yet little clarity about where he is at.
“Pat Cummins hasn’t returned to any type of bowling at this point in time, so he is heavily unlikely. Therefore, we will need a captain,” said McDonald. “That [search for a replacement captain] will unfold in the next couple of days.”
Australia had already been deprived of Mitchell Marsh’s service when the all-rounder was ruled out of the tournament due to “lower back pain and dysfunction”. Marsh had been leading the one-day side in place of Pat Cummins, but now with him absent from the ICC tournament under circumstances beyond his control, the Australian authorities are pressed to contemplate another option. The contenders in this instance are: Steve Smith, who happens to be leading the Test side in Sri Lanka, and Travis Head.
“Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two (options) we’ve been having conversations with,” McDonald revealed. “Steve has done a great job here in the Test match, he’s done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. It’ll be between those two.”
Australia play a couple of ODIs in Sri Lanka before heading to Pakistan for their opening match against England in Lahore on February 22.
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