An important decision has come to light regarding the captaincy of Australia’s Test team. Steve Smith will take charge of the team in the first Ashes Test, as regular captain Pat Cummins will not be available for the match in Perth due to a back injury. This match is going to start from 21st November.
Pat Cummins suffered a back stress injury during the West Indies tour in June, after which he has not started bowling yet. According to the available information, he is currently practicing running and is expected to start bowling soon. Let us tell you that due to this injury, Cummins was also out of the ODI series against South Africa, New Zealand and India.
Team head coach Andrew McDonald said that due to time constraints, Cummins could not be ready for the first Test, but the team management is optimistic about the second Test, which will be played at the Gabba ground in Brisbane from December 4. It is noteworthy that Cummins will be present with the team in Perth during the first Test, so that he can remain in the team environment and remain a part of the strategy.
Meanwhile, positive signals have also been received regarding Camryn Green. Recently, he was out of the ODI series against India due to side strain, but now he has started bowling. He is preparing to play for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield, although he has not yet received final clearance to bowl.
Talking about Steve Smith’s leadership experience, he has captained Australia in 40 Test matches so far and his average as a captain has been around 70, which is much better than his usual average of 50 as a batsman. Scott Boland is likely to be included in place of Cummins in the bowling unit, who had scattered England’s batting like a pack of cards in the Melbourne Test of the 2021/22 Ashes and took 7 wickets for 6 runs.
The Australian team is considered almost ready for the first Test and under the leadership of Smith, the team’s confidence regarding the match against England remains strong. In such a situation, just before the Perth Test, the composition of the team is considered almost fixed and all eyes are on whether Cummins will be able to return for the second Test or not.