Australia captain Pat Cummins will skip next month’s white-ball series against South Africa as he gears up for a busy Ashes summer later this year.
Cummins had already been rested for the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies alongside Mitchell Starc and Travis Head. Now, Josh Hazlewood has also been withdrawn from the ODI and T20I squads after the Test matches, with Xavier Bartlett drafted in as his replacement.
Fitness Over Fixtures for Cummins
While Hazlewood will play in the limited-overs matches in Darwin, Cairns, and Mackay in August, Cummins plans to focus on fitness and strength training. He’s eyeing a return for the short T20I tour to New Zealand in October and some games against India ahead of the Ashes, which begins in late November.
“I’ll have a good training block for the next couple of months, six weeks or so,” Cummins said. “Probably not bowling, but lots of gym work. [My] body feels pretty good, but there are always little bits and pieces you’re trying to get right.”
He could also feature in a Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales, something he skipped last year before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Spotlight on Australia’s Batting Line-up
With the Ashes on the horizon, early Sheffield Shield performances are expected to shape Australia’s top-order plans. Sam Konstas has two innings left in the West Indies series to cement his spot, while Usman Khawaja hopes to silence doubts over his form. Cameron Green, who hit a half-century in Grenada, is also being watched closely.
“There’s a lot of Shield cricket to come and some Aussie A stuff as well,” Cummins said. “I think [if] you do well at Test level, any time it’s going to kind of make your case more compelling.”
Bartlett and Fraser-McGurk Called Up
Xavier Bartlett, who impressed in the MLC with the San Francisco Unicorns and leads that tournament’s wicket charts, will join the squad for the South Africa tour.
He’ll be accompanied by Jake Fraser-McGurk, brought in to replace left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson, who is recovering from back soreness sustained during the IPL. Fraser-McGurk had a mixed MLC campaign after a strong start but struggled for runs later in the tournament.
Australia’s T20I series against West Indies kicks off on July 20 with two games at Sabina Park, followed by three matches in St Kitts.
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