Cummins highly unlikely for ICC Champions Trophy; Head, Smith likely captaincy candidates

Melbourne [Australia], February 5 (ANI): Australian captain Pat Cummins is highly unlikely for the ICC Champions Trophy due to his ankle issue, with Steve Smith and Travis Head as big candidates for captaincy, revealed coach Andrew McDonald, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo.

Cummins missed the Sri Lanka Test tour because of the birth of his second child and has been nursing an ankle issue that was caused by a heavy workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking 25 wickets at an average of 21.36, bowling 167 overs, the most by a bowler in the series, as per ESPNCricinfo.

Australia’s ODI players who are not playing the Sri Lanka Tests, will fly to the Island nation for the two ODIs on Thursday but coach McDonald revealed that Cummins is not among them. He also revealed that Josh Hazlewood, another key pacer, is battling a race with time to be fit because of a hip issue that surfaced right after recovering from side and calf injuries that caused him to miss three India Tests and Sri Lanka Test tour.

“Pat Cummins has not been able to resume any type of bowling so he is heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain,” McDonald told SEN as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

“Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we have been having conversations with while we have been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They will be the two that we look at for that leadership post.”

“They are the two obvious ones. Steve has done a great job here in the [first] Test match. He has done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. So it is between those two.”

“But, as I said, Patty is hugely unlikely, which is a bit of shame, and we have also got Josh Hazlewood, who is battling to be fit at the moment. So that medical information will land over the next couple of days and we will be able to shore that up and let everyone know the direction,” he concluded.

Australia has other injury concerns in the all-rounder department as well, with Mitchell Marsh set to miss the Champions Trophy due to a back injury, though he can feature for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) later. A replacement for him is not named yet though McDonald confirmed on Sunday that all-rounder Beau Webster could be added to the ODI squad against Sri Lanka due to his seam bowling abilities. Other two seam bowling all-rounder, Aaron Hardie and Marcus Stoinis are also struggling with injuries.

Hardie was troubled by quad problems all summer and has just started bowling again and Stoinis also suffered hamstring tightness during the ongoing SA20 while playing for Durban Super Giants.

The absence of Cummins and Hazlewood could open the door for Sean Abbott to return to ODI set-up after missing out initially due to poor form. Spencer Johnson could also be in mix as he was set to fly to Sri Lanka as cover for the ODI squad.