Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins will not feature in the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa, choosing instead to focus on building peak fitness for the home Ashes series later this year. Cummins, who has already been rested for the T20Is against the West Indies, will undergo a structured training regime during the off-season.
Cummins Prioritizes Fitness Ahead of a Packed Home Summer
Cummins is set to take advantage of the next six weeks to work on strength and conditioning, mainly in the gym rather than with the ball. Speaking to reporters at Sabina Park in Jamaica, he shared his plans:
“I’ll have a good training block for the next couple of months, six weeks or so. Probably not bowling, but lots of gym work. My body feels pretty good, but there’s always little bits and pieces you’re always trying to get right and then build up for the summer.”
Though Cummins is expected to skip the South Africa series, he is targeting a return in a short T20I tour of New Zealand, a few white-ball games against India, and possibly a Sheffield Shield appearance for New South Wales before the Australian summer begins in full swing.
The 2023 ODI World Cup-winning skipper has had limited appearances since the final in India. He missed the Champions Trophy due to an ankle injury and has led the national team in only two games since then.
Hazlewood, Starc, and Head Also Rested; Replacements Named
Joining Cummins on the rest list are fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and batter Travis Head. The trio will return home after the conclusion of the third Test against the West Indies in Jamaica. However, Hazlewood is likely to return for the home limited-overs series against South Africa in August.
To fill the squad gaps, selectors have named Xavier Bartlett and Jake Fraser-McGurk as late additions. Both are currently playing for the San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament.
Australia’s T20I series against the West Indies kicks off on July 20 in Jamaica and will conclude on July 28 in St Kitts. With several senior players resting, the tour presents a prime opportunity for emerging talents to make their mark on the international stage.
