Pat Cummins Ruled Out Of Ashes Opener In Perth, Steve Smith to Captain Australia

Australia captain Pat Cummins will miss the Ashes opener against England in Perth starting November 21, 2025, due to a back injury, with Steve Smith stepping in as skipper. "We've run out of time," said head coach Andrew McDonald with regards to Cummins' availability.

Cummins Sidelined By Back Stress Injury

Cricket Australia announced on Monday (October 27, 2025) that Cummins has resumed running after being sidelined for three months due to a back stress injury. However, the board confirmed that he “will not be fit in time for the opening match.” The statement also noted that Cummins “expects to return to bowling shortly,” indicating progress in his recovery process.

Steve Smith To Lead Australia

With Pat Cummins unavailable for the first Test, former skipper Steve Smith will take over as captain for Australia when the highly anticipated Test series begins. The Ashes series will start in Perth on November 21 and will be followed by a day-night Test in Brisbane from December 4. The five-match series will then move to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald told reporters in Canberra, "We've run out of time. We sort of flagged this a week or so ago that it would take sort of four plus weeks to get him up and running and we've run out of time, unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match."

McDonald added, "So I suppose the next question is what's the time frame? What does it look like for the second Test? Not really going to be able to answer that other than to say that he'll be back bowling this week and that's a huge step. That was the big variable that we wanted to add in and get that information. So we're on the journey to that second Test and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome."

Scott Boland Set For Key Role In Pace-Friendly Perth

The 32-year-old Cummins has not bowled since Australia’s 3-0 series sweep of the West Indies in the Caribbean in July 2025. His continued absence opens an opportunity for Scott Boland to join Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Australia's pace attack for the Perth Test. The conditions at Perth Stadium are traditionally favourable for pace bowlers, making Boland's inclusion significant.

Boland has an impressive record in home Tests, having taken 49 wickets at an average of 12.63 across nine matches. Notably, his debut in 2021 saw him claim six wickets for just seven runs in a remarkable second-innings performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which secured a major victory for Australia.

(With AP inputs)