Australian Head Coach McDonald Backs Cummins to Be Fit for the Ashes

The captain of Australia, Pat Cummins, is running out of time, as the decision to finalize the squad for 1st Ashes test is looming. The Australian head coach, Andrew McDonald, said that the decision to include Cummins in Perth would be made next Friday. He is confident that Cummins would get fit before the 1st test, which is slated to start from November 21.

The Australian head coach said the latest test results of Pat Cummins are encouraging, allowing the medical team to diversify his training with new practices. He added that the decision to allow Cummins to bowl in nets would be made next week, meaning that the timeline for the Australian captain to get fit is getting tight.

"We still aren't further advanced on whether he'll play the first. We are definitely running out of time around that. He's added some variables into his training. I think by this time next week, we'll be in a position where we're better informed to make a judgment around what that first Test match looks like,” said Andrew McDonald.

He further stated that the progress of Cummins is positive, though they are waiting for the report to come in. It is those sorts of things that can’t be rushed, as injuries could often take time to heal. However, with correct training, the process to recover can be hastened, keeping in view the evolving condition.

"He's had a positive week, and so we'll just wait for that information to come in. Anyone who knows the nature of those injuries, you do add the variables in, and it's about how you recover from adding the variables into your training. It's not as quick as everyone thinks it is. We look forward to a positive outcome next Friday and then making some decisions around what it looks like for the first Test match," said Andrew McDonald.

If Pat Cummins does not make it to the 1st test, McDonald is still confident that he will be back in the Playing XI at some point during the series. That decision would also be taken after analyzing the recovery progress of the Australian test captain.

"I haven't really delved into what it looks like without him for five Test matches because the information and the week that he's had would suggest he's going to play some part as it sits right now," said Andrew McDonald.

The head coach said that the variables in lumbar bone stress are diverse, meaning that you have to look into the progress regularly to understand the nature of the recovery. He said that Cummins will ultimately come back to the squad, and it is highly unlikely that he will not play any part in the series.

"Can that change with new information when we start to add some more variables into his training? Could that go backward? There is a possibility of that. And for those who have had lumbar bone stress, they would understand that it's a journey to add those variables in, how you pull up, recover, and that can ebb and flow a little bit across the rehab. So we'll just see how it plays out. At this stage, there's no thinking that he will be ruled out for the whole series," said Andrew McDonald.

Even if Pat Cummins is ruled out of the series, Andrew McDonald knows who will take up the responsibility to lead Australia. He named Steve Smith as the potential successor who can step in as temporary captain if Cummins is somehow ruled out of the Ashes.

"It's highly likely that Steve would be the person that we turn to. George Bailey would have to tick that one off. Steve's incredibly experienced. He's done a good job as recently as Sri Lanka, when Pat wasn't on that tour. So that's the person that we've turned to. I don't see that changing," said Andrew McDonald.

The Ashes is slated to start from November 21, and both Australia and England are preparing for it accordingly. It will be interesting to see how Australia approaches the series should their captain be unavailable.