Pat Cummins injury update: The Australian Test captain will be playing an ODI after more than 18 months tomorrow.
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Australia have confirmed a comeback for Test captain Pat Cummins ahead of the first ODI of their ongoing tour of Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Having last played an ODI against India at home in 2020, Cummins will be playing one after more than 18 months tomorrow.
With him being promoted as Australia’s Test captain last summer, Cummins has missed multiple ODIs on the back of limited availability due to niggles as his Test availability is of utmost importance now.
Cummins, who has played 14 out of his 69 ODIs in Asia, has never played this format in Sri Lanka. Readers must note that Cummins’ solitary ODI against Sri Lanka had come during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 when he had picked bowling figures of 7.5-0-38-2 in a winning effort at The Oval.
Aaron Finch provides Pat Cummins injury update ahead of Pallekele ODI
Addressing the reporters via a virtual press conference from Pallekele, Australia captain Aaron Finch confirmed Cummins’ participation for the first ODI saying that he’s “fresh and recharged” after getting over a hip injury. It is noteworthy that it is the same hip injury which curtailed Cummins’ Indian Premier League 2022 season at Kolkata Knight Riders.
“He’s very keen to go. He’s fresh and recharged after getting over that hip injury,” Finch told the reporters as quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. “I think that had been lingering around for 12 or 14 months. So for him to be able to have a good solid recovering period and then a training block – he’s come here, he looks like he’s up and running.”
Sound on for this one! It was Cummins v Labuschagne in the Pallekele nets ahead of the first #SLvAUS ODI pic.twitter.com/9vZKwQfX9z
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 13, 2022
With the likes of Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson and Sean Abbott injured, Cummins playing the ODI series is a massive boost for the visitors. However, Finch considered that Cummins’ presence would contribute in the leadership department as well.
“That’s a really good sign for us, to have Pat [Cummins] back around the group, not just his bowling skills but his leadership and his cricket brain I think is really important on the field as well,” Finch added.
Australia Playing XI for first ODI vs Sri Lanka – 1) Aaron Finch (c) 2) David Warner 3) Steve Smith 4) Marnus Labuschagne 5) Marcus Stoinis 6) Glenn Maxwell 7) Alex Carey (wk) 8) Ashton Agar 9) Pat Cummins 10) Jhye Richardson 11) Josh Hazlewood
