Australian captain name confirmed for Ashes 2025-26 opener in absence of Pat Cummins

Cricket Australia (CA) has officially announced the captain's name for the first fixture of the Ashes 2025-26 against England after confirming that the regular captain Pat Cummins will be unavailable for the selection for the five-match Test series opener. 

Pat Cummins is currently recovering from a back injury. After returning from the West Indies tour, Cummins had a complaint of discomfort as he was diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury last September. As time progresses, it is expected that Cummins may miss the Ashes 2025-26 opener, which the Perth Stadium will host from November 24.  

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We've run out of time: Head Coach about Pat Cummins' return for the first Test of Ashes 2025-26

The Australian head coach Andrew McDonald has admitted that they have run out of time, as Pat Cummins can't be match fit for the Ashes 2025-26 opener. McDonald is hopeful of Cummins' return to the second Test, which will be a pink-ball day/night Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, starting on December 4.

McDonald told reporters, "We've grappled with it for a little while. The nature of the injury is that you never know and you're sort of taking it a day by day. We've run out of time. We flagged this a week or so ago that it will take four-plus weeks to get him up and running. We've run out of time unfortunately, but really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match."

McDonald also confirmed that Pat Cummins will return to bowling this week, which will be a massive step in his recovery. 

The head coach added, "He'll be back bowling this week, and that's a huge step. That was the big variable that we wanted to add in. We're on the journey to that second Test match, and very hopeful that that will be a positive outcome."

Steven Smith will lead Australia for first Test of Ashes 2025-26

In the absence of the regular skipper Pat Cummins, former Aussie skipper Steven Smith will take charge of the Test side for the first Test of the Ashes 2025-26. While Smith has led the Baggy Greens 40 times in Test cricket, they won 23 Tests, lost seven times, and drew 10 times. He previously led the team during Australia's two-match Test series against the hosts Sri Lanka last January-February. Smith has led Australia in six matches of the Ashes, all in Australia, where his team won five times and drew once. 

England are desperate to end their wait for a Test win in Australia, as they last won a Test match in Australia in January 2011 at Sydney, where they won their last Ashes series in Australia by a 3-1 margin.