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Cummins injury shakes up Australia’s Ashes planning | The Express Tribune
MELBOURNE:
With the prospect of captain Pat Cummins being fit for the Ashes receding by the day, Australia’s hopes of retaining the urn may rest on managing one of the biggest shake-ups to their leadership and bowling against England in years.
A back stress injury has cast doubt on Cummins participating in the series starting on November 21 in Perth, with the paceman yet to resume bowling in his rehabilitation period.
Losing Cummins for Perth alone would require a major shift in the Australian mindset, given the 32-year-old has been ever-present since making his Ashes debut in 2017/18.
Cummins has played every series-opener and across four Ashes campaigns missed only one match, when ruled out of the 2021 Adelaide test for eating at the same restaurant as a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
That durability has seen him claim 91 English wickets at an average of 24.10, leading his regular pace colleagues Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
With Cummins fit and firing, Australia have never lost the urn since reclaiming it in 2017. Little wonder that the prospect of Cummins being absent from the upcoming series has raised English hopes.
“Should he be missing in Perth, it would unquestionably be bad for the series and bad for Australia, but give a huge lift to an England team looking to win their first test – never mind series – in the country for more than a decade,” former England captain Michael Atherton wrote in The Times.
While Scott Boland is likely to be first in line to replace Cummins in the pace bowling unit, Cummins’ absence will put the spotlight on how 35-year-old Starc and 34-year-old Hazlewood are managed throughout the five-test series.
Starc slogged through five tests against India in the last home summer but Hazlewood has not managed a full Ashes series since 2017/18 due to injuries. Fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green will be under pressure to ease the workload of the front-line quicks but may also need to be managed carefully as he works his way back into bowling after spinal surgery.
Vice-captain Steve Smith is in line to take the captaincy if Cummins is unfit, having stepped in for the regular skipper during the two-test series against Sri Lanka. Though Smith was a full-time captain prior to the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in 2018, it will be another paradigm shift for a team that has grown accustomed to Cummins’ calm leadership during their rise to the summit of test cricket.
Cummins said last week his latest scan on his back showed the injury was lingering and he would need to be careful.
Cricket Australia said no decisions have been made on his availability for the Ashes. Starc on Thursday said he was unaware of the latest news on the injury but said Cummins would be able to get back up to speed quickly once cleared to resume bowling.
“I found one thing playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn’t need much (time),” he said. “He just knows when to switch on or how to switch on really quickly.”
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The Miami (Ohio) RedHawks’ men’s basketball team continued their perfect start to the season on Tuesday night.
The No. 19 RedHawks defeated the Toledo Rockets, 74-72, improving to 30-0 and clinching at least a share of the Mid-American Conference regular-season title. Miami is the only undefeated team in Division I men’s basketball and has the best start and longest win streak in conference history.
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Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder, center, and the team celebrate the regular-season trophy at the conclusion of an NCAA college basketball game against Toledo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Oxford, Ohio. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
The team celebrated with the regular-season trophy as confetti fell onto the court in the arena.
“That’s the beauty of basketball: When you’re having fun with the right group of guys, you can become unbeatable,” Miami star Peter Suder told reporters, via the school’s website.
“It’s a surreal moment, obviously,” he added as he reflected on his family and the support he’s received through his collegiate career. “They’ve been with me through it all, and I’m just super-happy they were there tonight and soaked in the moment as well.”
Miami (OH) guard Luke Skaljac reacts after a made 3-point basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Toledo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Oxford, Ohio. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
Suder had 19 points in the win and is averaging 14.8 points per game this season.
The RedHawks needed to dig deep to hang on against Toledo.
The Rockets cut the deficit to one on four different occasions. Toledo’s Austin Parks had a good opportunity to put the team ahead, but Miami’s Eian Elmer blocked him at the rim. Toledo trailed by two points and had the ball with 13 seconds left but a costly turnover sealed the win for Miami.
Miami completed its first season sweep of Toledo since the 1996-97 season and are now on a three-game winning streak against the Rockets after losing 22 straight from 2012-24.
Miami (OH) guard Peter Suder, center, raises the regular-season trophy with teammates at the conclusion of an NCAA college basketball game against Toledo, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Oxford, Ohio. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
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The RedHawks will finish the regular season on the road against the Ohio Bobcats on Friday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Related Article
- All three ODIs to be played at Shere Bangla Stadium.
- Shaheen Afridi to continue as Pakistan ODI captain.
- Maaz Sadaqat, Sahibzada Farhan among uncapped players.
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, with star batter Babar Azam and all-rounder Saim Ayub left out of the selection.
All three ODIs will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka from 11 to 15 March, according to a statement issued by the cricket board.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side, with six uncapped players included in the squad.
The uncapped players are Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.
Among them, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain were part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that played against England Lions in Abu Dhabi recently.
Notably, former ODI captain Babar and all-rounder Saim have been omitted from the squad.
For the unversed, Pakistan last played an ODI series in November last year, when they hosted Sri Lanka and completed a 3-0 clean sweep.
The series marked the second ODI assignment for captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose maiden stint in charge came in a home series against South Africa, which Pakistan won 2-1.
15-member squad:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain
Series schedule:
March 11 – First ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
March 13 – Second ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
March 15 – Third ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to appoint former national captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as the new coach of Pakistan’s Test cricket team, according to sources.
Sarfaraz Ahmed is expected to take charge ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming Test series against Bangladesh national cricket team, scheduled for May.
The development comes after the tenure of interim coach Azhar Mahmood concluded.
Sources said the PCB is likely to make an official announcement soon, confirming Sarfaraz Ahmed’s appointment as part of the coaching setup for the red-ball squad.
Currently, Sarfaraz Ahmed is serving as manager and mentor of Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team, where he has been working closely with young talent and development programs.
Sarfaraz, who captained Pakistan to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, is widely regarded as one of the country’s most experienced cricket leaders.
Cricket analysts believe his leadership experience and understanding of the dressing room could help strengthen Pakistan’s performance in Test cricket.
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