Cummins 'less than likely' to play in first Ashes Test – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Dark mode is here!If you would like to change, tap into the appearance drop down below.Go to appearance
Personalise the news and
stay in the know
Emergency
Backstory
Newsletters
中文新闻
BERITA BAHASA INDONESIA
TOK PISIN
Find any issues using dark mode? Please let us know
Sport
Topic:Cricket
Pat Cummins has admitted he is still struggling with a back injury ahead of next month's opening Ashes Test in Perth. (Getty Images: Cricket Australia/Chris Hyde)
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins looks set to lose his race against time to be fit for next month's first Ashes Test against England.
Cummins says he is still a couple of weeks away from bowling on turf and he has not bowled since Australia's tour of West Indies in July.
The first Ashes Test begins in Perth on November 21 and will be covered in full by the ABC via live blog and broadcast.
Pat Cummins says it is "less than likely" that he will play in the first Ashes Test in Perth as he continues to recover from a back injury.
Speaking in Sydney, Cummins was asked about the chances of him being ready for the opening of the series on November 21.
D/N = day/night Test
"I wouldn't put a percentage on it, but I'd probably say less likely than likely," he told Fox Sports.
"But we've still got a bit of time."
Cummins has not bowled since Australia's tour of the West Indies in July.
Recent scans showed that a stress injury in the Australian captain's back had not healed.
"I'm probably a couple of weeks away before I actually put on the spikes and bowl on turf," Cummins said.
"It's been a good couple of weeks — kind of each session is getting better.
"You'd want probably at least a month in the nets.
"If you are to play in a Test match, you want to be able to bowl 20 overs in a day and you don't have to think about it.
"Four weeks is pretty tight, but I think somewhere around that mark."
ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that's making headlines.
The skipper was more reserved when asked if he might miss more than one Test.
"It's a bit early to know — it's a bit hard to go from not bowling at all to playing five Tests," he said.
"The first steps are trying to get it right and then working it out as we get closer.
But Cummins admitted he has had a "really good run" as a fast bowler compared to his teammate Josh Hazlewood.
"Josh's had a tough run … maybe it's my turn," he said.
LIVE
Topic:Cricket
Topic:Tennis
Topic:Motor Sports
Topic:Golf
Topic:World Politics
Topic:Universities
Analysis by Alan Kohler
LIVE
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Topic:Cricket
Topic:Cricket
Topic:Ashes
Topic:Ashes
Ashes
Australia
Cricket
England
Sport
Sydney
Topic:World Politics
Topic:Universities
Analysis by Alan Kohler
LIVE
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
Topic:Crime
Topic:Explainer
Topic:Cricket
Topic:Climate Change
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

source