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Pat Cummins To Miss South Africa White-Ball Series As Australia Plans For Ashes

Akshita Patel

Pat Cummins prepares plan for Ashes [Source: @Donewithcricc/X.com]Pat Cummins prepares plan for Ashes [Source: @Donewithcricc/X.com]

Australia’s star fast bowler and captain Pat Cummins will not play the white-ball series against South Africa scheduled for next month. This move is part of a larger plan to manage his fitness ahead of the Ashes series later in 2025.

England is supposed to tour Australia for a 5-game Test series, famously known as the Ashes, beginning from November 21. To ensure all senior figures are fit and ready for the big challenge, the management has decided to rest certain players from the limited-overs series, including captain Cummins.

Pat Cummins Distances Himself From the South Africa Series

Ahead of the third Test against the West Indies, Australia skipper Pat Cummins confirmed that he will not be playing the white-ball series against South Africa scheduled in the month of August.

Cummins had already been rested for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies, and now he’ll skip the South Africa tour as well, which includes both T20Is and ODIs. 

"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. So it'll probably look like white-ball [cricket]…we've got some [matches against] New Zealand, India, potentially a Shield game and then into the home summer," Cummins said in a recent press conference.

Instead of travelling, Cummins will enter a training phase focused on gym work and recovery. He confirmed he likely won’t bowl much during this period, but wants to be in top shape before the home summer. 

Apart from Cummins, Josh Hazlewood too has been pulled out of the South Africa series and replaced by Xavier Bartlett, who is having a great run in T20 cricket.

Joining Bartlett as a late addition is Jake Fraser-McGurk, who replaces Spencer Johnson, out due to back soreness after the IPL. 

Nathan Lyon Faces Risk Of Omission Ahead Of Ashes

Veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon could face a shock omission from Australia's XI for the third Test against the West Indies in Jamaica, with Pat Cummins admitting everything’s an option. 

Despite Lyon being just two wickets shy of overtaking Glenn McGrath as Australia’s second-highest Test wicket-taker, the conditions and pink Dukes ball could see Australia opt for an all-pace attack. Scott Boland or Sean Abbott may replace Lyon, while Travis Head or Beau Webster offer spin alternatives.