Australia’s injury issues keep on mounting ahead of the lastest ICC tournament with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood the latest victims in a list that already includes Mitchell marsh, Aaron Hardie, and Marcus Stoinis. The pace duo last featured in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy where Cummins ended up as Australia’s most used and successful bowler, sending down 160 overs for 25 scalps. Even though Cummins was said to be absent from the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka on paternal leave, head coach Andrew McDonald has revealed the 31-year-old has also been battling with an ankle issue that flared up in the aftermath of the Indian assignment.
“Pat Cummins hasn’t been able to resume any type of bowling so he’s heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain… But as I said, Patty is hugely unlikely, which is a bit of a shame,” McDonald told SEN on the eve of the second Test in Galle.
McDonald has earmarked Steve Smith and Travis Head as the two favourites to be named skipper. Cummins led Australia to the 2023 ODI World Cup where no vice-captain was anointed but in his absence, Smith has been the preferred choice to take over captaincy duties including games that featured Head in the XI. Over the last two years, Smith has captained eight ODIs including entire series against India and the West Indies, served as the full-time captain from 2015 to 2018, and is currently spearheading the red-ball squad in Sri Lanka. Head, on the other hand, wore the national team armband for the first and last time in a bilateral against England last year but has plenty of experience leading South Australia in the domestic setup.
“Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we’ve been having conversations with while we’ve been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They’ll be the two that we look at for that leadership post,” McDonald revealed.
Hazlewood, meanwhile, walked off in the third Test at the Gabba against the Men in Blue with a calf strain after bowling just six overs, having already sat out the pink-ball game in Adelaide with a side strain. While a Champions Trophy return looked likely for last years Shane Warne Test Player of the Year for Australia, fresh hip issues might extend the recovery deadline.
“We’ve also got Josh Hazlewood, who is battling [to be fit] at the moment. So that medical information will land over the next couple of days and we’ll be able to shore that up and let everyone know the direction.”
Australia are set to take on Sri Lanka in two ODIs ahead of their Champions Trophy campaign beginning against arch-rivals England on February 22, in a group that includes South Africa and Afghanistan.
