Australia have left out Test captain Pat Cummins for the remainder of the Ashes series, opting to put the fast bowler “on ice” after sealing the urn, with coach Andrew McDonald adamant the decision is about protecting his long-term future.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Cummins, who returned from a back stress injury to take six wickets in Adelaide and clinch the series, will not feature again this summer, with his availability for February’s T20 World Cup now under assessment.“He won’t play any part in the rest of the series,” McDonald said on Tuesday. “We were taking on some risk with his return, and we’ve now won the series, which was the goal. To position him for further risk and jeopardise him long term is not something that we want to do.
“Pat’s really comfortable with that. Everything went really smoothly, and to get him back, take six wickets and nail the Ashes was incredibly pleasing for everyone.”While Cummins rests, Australia remain confident Mitchell Starc will front up for the Boxing Day Test despite having bowled close to 100 overs in the series. The 35-year-old left-armer, who cracked England’s Adelaide chase with three late wickets, has been labelled a physical anomaly by the medical staff.“Starc’s amazing,” McDonald said. “He’s pulled up fine. I walked into the physio room and was told, ‘He’s a freak’. He keeps running in and presenting the pace that he does. He’s given up a lot of IPL opportunities because he wants to play Test cricket, and he’s still at his best.”
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Scott Boland is on track to overcome a hip niggle for his home Test, while Jhye Richardson, Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett are all in the mix to replace Cummins, depending on conditions at the MCG.McDonald also praised Cricket Australia’s medical team for backing Richardson’s shoulder surgery earlier this year. “That decision, we’re seeing the reward for it now,” he said. “He’s on the selection table and looks ready to go.”
