Australia’s preparation for the next Men’s T20 World Cup has taken a tactical approach, as it is expected that fast bowler Pat Cummins will miss the first part of the tournament due to an ongoing lower-back stress fracture injury. Nevertheless, Cricket Australia has included Cummins as part of its 15-player provisional squad, a move that indicates a tactical investment looking for the maximum benefit of the player in the pivotal stages leading up to the knockout finals compared to the group phase.

Selectors believe that even though Cummins will not be available for early games, if they are able to hold on to him and make it through to the later parts of the tournament with him, then he will provide value to their success. They see him as an impactful player in matches where experience and a high level of performance will greatly affect the outcome of a championship. As far as the group stage matches are concerned, they believe that the other bowlers, along with the spin options, will suffice against oppositions that are relative to lower-tier teams.

Cummins will return for his primary assessment of his status through a medical scan in late October to help determine his physical recovery timeline. There is still uncertainty around his participation in the initial phases of the tournament; however, with confidence, the selectors will have a limited rehabilitation window to develop Craig's physical capabilities, allowing him to be ready for the Super-8s and knockout rounds, where pressure and experience will generally determine the success of winning championships.

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Repeating the Strategy of Selecting Head-Like Players in World Cups

Selectors emulate this strategy by maintaining players who they believe possess a significant amount of skill but are unfit for the entire tournament, just as Australia did in 2023 when Travis Head was included in the Australian ODI World Cup team even though he broke his arm and could not perform for half of the tournament. Travis Head was able to come back midway through the World Cup and ultimately performed the necessary tasks to help win the World Series.

The chief selector of Australia, George Bailey, and the head coach of Australia, Andrew McDonald, have vocally supported this type of approach and continue to use it; they believe it is essential to play at your best at this time of the year when preparing for global tournaments. The selections of Travis Head and others are one example of this type of strategy.

There are potential risks associated with this type of selection strategy, as other players on the team may also be dealing with fitness problems. Therefore, it is possible that Australia could enter the World Cup without many available options if their players are all at the same level or limited in flexibility. However, there is confidence in the team's belief that a partially fit Pat Cummins late in the tournament could be the difference between an early exit and winning another World Cup.

Australia, it seems, will rely on the experience of the three players, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Tim David, who will be very likely to be included in the provisional 15-man squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup despite the fact that there are worries regarding the fitness of the trio.

Of the three, Cummins is still the most uncertain player. The Australia captain hasn't been seen in the international arena since July when lumbar stress injury led to him being out of action. He first came back for the Adelaide Test during the Ashes and bowled with his usually high intensity but eventually the selectors decided to take no more risks and ruled him out for the rest of the series. Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that in four weeks, Cummins would be given another scan on his back and that a final decision would be made at that point. For the moment, he is still a part of the team that will be sent in ahead of the ICC deadline.

Hazlewood and Tim David are on the right track as Australia gets ready for the T20 World Cup opener 

Josh Hazlewood's case seems to be more positive. The leading pacer could not take part in the Ashes series at all because of his hamstring and Achilles issues, but he has started to bowl again and is doing well on the recovery path. Hazlewood was excellent in the last T20 series against India and is still a key player in Australia’s powerplay and death overs strategies. The team management is confident that the timelines are in his favor on the road to the World Cup.

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Middle-order enforcer Tim David is also racing against the clock. The 29-year-old sustained a grade-two right hamstring strain during his participation in the Big Bash League while playing for the Hobart Hurricanes, which has led to him being sidelined for the rest of the tournament. Nevertheless, his healing period gives hope to Australia that he will be ready for the world event.

Australia's World Cup journey starts on February 11 against Ireland, and then they face Zimbabwe, which gives room for some players to get extra days off if they need it for recovery. However, a three-match T20I series in Pakistan at the end of January will be the last preparation, even if it means several stars miss the BBL finals.

Australia has made significant changes to their squad ahead of the Boxing Day Test against England in the 2025-26 Ashes series. Steve Smith will captain the team, filling in for Pat Cummins, who will not play due to workload management, and Nathan Lyon is unavailable because of injury (hamstring). As Australia has already retained the Ashes, the selectors were able to concentrate more on player fitness and balance going into the final stages of this series.
Pat Cummins was omitted as a "precaution" due to back problems that have been affecting him recently. Although he played in the 3rd Test at Adelaide, the team management opted not to take the risk of putting him under further strain. Similarly, Nathan Lyon will not play again in this series following a hamstring injury sustained during their last match. Reports say that Lyon will have to have surgery and will miss a significant amount of time from competitive cricket.
Australia has boosted their pace attack due to the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood by bringing back fast bowler Jhye Richardson, who is fully fit after getting cleared by his medical team. Todd Murphy has also been selected to provide off-spin cover in place of Matthew Kuhnemann and Corey Rocchiccioli based upon the strength of his performance in the Tests and being able to replicate the right-handed off-spin of Nathan Lyon.

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Richardson and Murphy Return as Australia Focus on Depth

Todd Murphy, who recently made his Test debut, has taken 22 wickets in just seven Tests at an excellent average. His calmness and consistency have made the selectors feel confident about using him as the replacement for Nathan Lyon through the Melbourne Test because of Murphy's past experience performing well in difficult conditions.

The return of Jhye Richardson is yet another positive for the Australians, as the quick has taken 11 wickets for the Test matches he has played (3) with an excellent average. His pace and control provide additional variety to the bowling unit while also providing much-needed support to both Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.

Australia will be captained by Steve Smith in the Boxing Day Test, his third time captaining Australia during this Ashes series, having missed the Adelaide Test due to illness. Smith has returned to form and fitness and joins a team that includes Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Alex Carey, thus ensuring that Australia will have a very strong and well-balanced team for the all-important Melbourne Test.

Australia squad for fourth Test of Ashes 2025-26

Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, has admitted that he would be unlikely to feature in the fourth Ashes 2025/26 Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the Boxing Day Test. He may not take part in the rest of the series, along with the New Year’s Sydney Test, after securing a pretty amazing victory in Adelaide to retain the urn in just 11 days of playing time.

Pat Cummins, who claimed six wickets in the match, played his first game in 22 weeks as he recovered from the back injury, and he mentioned that even though he came through the game, successive red-ball encounters were always unlikely for him.

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“We'll work it out over the next couple of days. I doubt I'll be playing Melbourne, and then we'll have a chat about Sydney. But certainly before the series it was, while the series was live, let's take on the risk and have a crack at it, now it's done, I think we'll need to have a chat about it.” Cummins expressed in the post-match press conference.

Pat Cummins unlikely to feature in Melbourne Ashes 2025/26 Test

The relentlessness of Australia’s attack stood out throughout the game, while the fielding was superb. Alex Carey produced another masterclass behind the stumps while Marnus Labuschagne was exceptional in the slip corridor.

“I think that's when we're at our best, this cricket team. You can't really rush things here in Australia. I think you kind of will it to happen, but it doesn't really work that way. It's good old-fashioned grind a lot of the time. I loved the talk from all the guys today. It got a little bit closer than I would have liked, but I'm pretty happy.” Cummins revealed in the post-match presentation.

“Over the last few years, this group has shown [it can] just crack on. Even though I missed the first couple of games, Steve stepped right in, and it was smooth and seamless. There are always things that crop up; Nathan Lyon is doing his hammy with a couple of hours left today.” The Australian captain addressed.

Australia’s veteran opening batter, Usman Khawaja, continues to warm the benches as he has been left out of the third Ashes 2025/26 Test at Adelaide Oval, raising the prospect of whether he has played the final match for the Australian side, with the management deciding to go with Jake Weatherald and Travis Head as the opening pair. As expected, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon return to the eleven.

Khawaja didn’t feature in the second Ashes 2025/26 Test in Brisbane during the day-night contest as he didn’t recover from the back spasms. But this week, he was out despite being 100% fit. The selectors have opted to retain Josh Inglis in the middle order.

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“I think the big thing that's shifted on us is probably Trav opening after that first Test and how good that has looked with the Weathers, so we're pretty happy with that batting line-up. So far it's looked like they [Head and Weatherald] have been able to keep the scoreboard ticking over,” Cummins expressed in the pre-match press conference.

Australia bring Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon for Ashes 2025/26 3rd Test

Steve Smith, who led the side in the first couple of clashes in Perth and Brisbane, missed Monday’s net session due to illness before returning on the eve of the contest.

“I think you've seen people like Marnus [Labuschagne] and Steve [Smith] walk in after that as well and really get on the back of that and start their innings well. I don't know if it's scrambled the opposition, but it's certainly kind of got that momentum, kept that scoreboard ticking over and started our innings brilliantly.” Cummins added.

“Obviously, Nathan Lyon's coming back in. One of Uzzie's great strengths is that he's scored runs at the top, and he's scored runs in the middle. If we didn't think he'd be good enough to come straight in, then he wouldn't be here in the squad. So, absolutely, I can see a path back at some point, if needed.” The New South Wales pacer addressed.

Australia’s playing XI for 3rd Ashes 2025/26 Test in Adelaide

Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk..), Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

Australia’s Pat Cummins will continue as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for a third straight IPL season. The franchise confirmed the decision on Monday through a post on its official X handle. Although there was no formal statement, the message was clear that SRH will continue under Cummins’ leadership for the 2026 season.

Cummins is currently recovering from a back injury and will miss the first Ashes Test in Perth. However, he is expected to be fit for the second Test in Brisbane starting on December 4. In his absence, Steven Smith will captain Australia in the series opener against England on November 21. Despite this injury setback, SRH have shown full trust in Cummins and their long-term plans remain unchanged.

The 31-year-old all-rounder became SRH captain in 2024 after the franchise bought him for ₹20.50 crore at the IPL auction, one of the highest bids in league history. His appointment came after Australia’s strong performances in international cricket, including wins in the World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup. Before joining Sunrisers Hyderabad, Cummins played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals.

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IPL 2026: Pat Cummins To Lead Sunrisers Hyderabad For Third Consecutive Years#PatCummins #SunrisersHyderabad #IPL2026 https://t.co/zjQrKnnUm1

— CricketNDTV (@CricketNDTV) November 17, 2025

SRH Squad Update for IPL 2026

As Sunrisers Hyderabad announced their squad for IPL 2026, the team kept the core players who helped them improve in recent seasons. Along with Pat Cummins, the strong opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head remains key to the team. Their aggressive starts played a big role in SRH’s comeback, including a strong IPL 2024 season where the team finished as runners-up.

The franchise also made some big changes. SRH traded experienced fast bowler Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants and released spinners Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar. These decisions seem focused on reshaping the bowling attack around Cummins and improving team balance after a poor IPL 2025 season. Last year, SRH finished sixth with six wins, seven losses, and one no-result, and failed to reach the playoffs.

Australia captain Pat Cummins returns for the 15-member squad in the third Ashes 2025/26 Test at Adelaide Oval, which begins on December 17, as it remains the only addition to the group, as Cricket Australia has named. Cummins missed the first couple of games in Perth and Brisbane when Steve Smith was appointed the stand-in captain.

Pat Cummins hasn’t played any competitive cricket with a lumbar back stress injury since the third test of the three-match series against the West Indies at Sabina Park in Jamaica this year. He was picked for the second day-night Brisbane Test but couldn’t complete his full recovery from the lower back injury. He had multiple spells under match stimulations to be as prepared for the third encounter.

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“He was well ahead of where we thought he'd be at, and it did create a real live conversation for Brisbane. With that in mind, seeing him further advanced, we feel he'll be really well placed for the challenges of Adelaide. We feel as though the simulation in the nets has him skill-ready. His body's ready to go.” Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, expressed.

Pat Cummins returns as Australia name 15-member squad for 3rd Ashes 2025/26 Test in Adelaide

Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja, who missed the previous contest due to his back injury, has retained his place in the squad. McDonald reckoned that Khawaja got along well in the nets in Brisbane and was expected to be fully match fit ahead of next week’s fixture.

“Uz' (Khawaja) should be fit and available. The assumption is that Khawaja can only open as well. He does have flexibility. We like to think that all our batters have the flexibility to be able to perform anywhere in that order. The gap between one and two (Perth and Brisbane Tests) and two and three (Brisbane and Adelaide Tests) was something we thought we could manage.” McDonald added.

Australia currently has a 2-0 lead in the Ashes with three tests to play and would look to retain the urn at Adelaide Oval. Post that game, he action will move to Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia’s 15-member squad for 3rd Ashes 2025/26 Test in Adelaide

Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Who is the “star player” making a return to the squad for the 3rd Ashes Test?

A: The “star player” is Pat Cummins, who has been included in the 15-member squad for the third Test starting December 17 at Adelaide Oval.

Q2. Why was Pat Cummins absent from the first two tests of the series?

A: Cummins had a lumbar back stress injury and missed the first two tests (in Perth and Brisbane) while recovering.

Q3. Is Cummins the only change in the squad compared to the previous Test?

A: Yes. He is the only addition; the rest of the squad remains unchanged.

Q4. Has Usman Khawaja been included despite his recent back-injury struggles?

A: Yes, Khawaja retains his place in the squad. The team management believes he’s fit, though his role (opening or middle-order) depends on the match strategy.

Q5. What does this squad selection mean for the Ashes series overall?

A: With Cummins returning and the squad largely stable, Australia aims to consolidate their 2–0 lead and clinch the series at Adelaide Oval.

Australia will continue to be without their regular captain, Pat Cummins, for the second Ashes 2025/26 Test, which will be a day-night contest at the Gabba in Brisbane. The selectors have picked the same 14 players who were on duty in Perth, with Josh Inglis, Michael Neser, and Beau Webster among those who failed to make it into the eleven.

Cummins bowled to Steve Smith on November 28 at the SCG and will travel to Brisbane with the team. He is likely to make his return in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, which gives him two weeks to prepare. Their opening batter, Usman Khawaja, has retained his place in the squad after back spasms in Perth.

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Travis Head’s success during the chase of Australia, where he smashed a fine knock of 123 runs off just 83 runs in the fourth innings of the game, has prompted debate about whether it should be made a permanent move.

Australia retain 14-member squad for second D/N Ashes 2025/26 Test in Brisbane

The absence of Cummins means that Brendan Doggett, who claimed five wickets in Perth, is likely to retain his place alongside the experienced duo of Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc. However, a question stands on Nathan Lyon, given he only bowled two overs in Perth and didn’t feature in Australia’s most recent pink-ball Test at the Sabina Park in Jamaica.

“I am going to control what I can control, keep ticking the legs over, and keep bowling and trying to improve in every session and game. If I get called on in that second Test, I feel like I am ready to go again.” Doggett expressed. Josh Hazlewood, who never had a chance to play in Brisbane, continued his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Australia lost their previous day-night Test at the Gabba against the West Indies, where they were blown away before the superb, fiery spell of Shamar Joseph.

Australia squad for second Ashes 2025/26 Test in Brisbane

Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have made significant progress in their recoveries, returning to bowling ahead of the second Ashes Test, which starts on December 4. Both fast bowlers had missed the opening Test in Perth, which Australia won by eight wickets. Their return to training has boosted hopes of a stronger pace attack for the upcoming matches.

The duo was seen bowling at Cricket Central in Sydney while New South Wales were facing Tasmania in a Sheffield Shield game. Hazlewood is working his way back from a hamstring injury, while Cummins has been recovering from a back issue. During the training session, Hazlewood used the red ball and Cummins bowled with the pink ball, signalling preparation for different match conditions.

Australian head coach Andrew McDonald shared updates on both players. He confirmed that Hazlewood will definitely feature at some point in the series. Regarding Cummins, McDonald said he is progressing well but the team will be careful not to rush him. The coach stressed that they want to avoid pushing Cummins too quickly and risking further injury.

McDonald Shares Injury Timeline and Selection Possibilities

"I know that he'll be available at some point during the series. We've got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series. It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation. The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There's a lot of positives, but now it's just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we're not putting him in harm's way in terms of accelerating it too much," stated McDonald, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

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While Cummins has a chance of returning for the pink-ball Test, Hazlewood is expected to be fully available from the third Test onward. If both return, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett are likely to make way despite their strong performances in Perth. Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler in the first Test, taking a 10-wicket match haul and earning Player of the Match for his exceptional effort.