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Setback For Australia As Pat Cummins Skips New Zealand T20Is As Injury Precaution

Soumyajit Dutta

Pat Cummins will miss NZ T20Is [Source: @cricketcomau/X.com]Pat Cummins will miss NZ T20Is [Source: @cricketcomau/X.com]

Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins is reportedly set to miss the upcoming three-match T20I tour of New Zealand in October. According to CODE Sports, the 32-year-old will undergo routine scans on his back after experiencing tightness since returning from the Caribbean tour last month.

Cummins had already skipped Australia’s white-ball series against the West Indies and South Africa earlier this year. With the high-profile Ashes 2025/26 series at home on the horizon, Cricket Australia is prioritising his fitness and keeping him fresh for the five-Test campaign.

Cummins' ODI Return Against India Still on Track

Despite his likely absence from the New Zealand tour, Pat Cummins is expected to feature in Australia’s ODI series against India in October, as per another report from News Corp. He is also set to play at least one Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales before the first Ashes Test in Perth.

The strategy is to gradually build him up for red-ball cricket, ensuring he has match intensity without overloading his body.

Hazlewood Reveals Individual Plans for Test Bowlers

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood confirmed that each frontline Test bowler will follow different preparation programs ahead of the Ashes.

“The Test guys will play more than one Shield game. They’ll probably play two or three, but everyone’s on different programs,” Hazlewood said.

Hazlewood added that spending time in match situations is vital, “Time on the field, multiple spells in a day, it’s sort of hard to replicate it at training. For me, the best way is to keep ticking over, keep playing, and not have too long off bowling.”

Injury Concerns Add Pressure on Pace Attack

Australia is already facing challenges with their fast-bowling depth. Fringe pacers Lance Morris, Spencer Johnson, and Ben Dwarshuis are all nursing injuries ahead of the 2025/26 summer. This heaps extra responsibility on the core quartet of Cummins, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland to stay fit for the demanding Ashes series.

Australia’s three-match T20I series against New Zealand gets underway on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. However, Cummins is unlikely to feature, with his focus firmly on returning fully fit for the Ashes.