Pat Cummins Faces Lower Back Stress Reaction Ahead of Ashes 2025-26. Australia captain Pat Cummins, has been hit by a stress reaction in his lower back just as the team ramps up preparations for the Ashes 2025-26. The 32-year-old revealed that he might adopt “aggressive” strategies to prove his fitness for the series opener despite the setback.
A recent scan revealed lumbar bone stress, forcing Pat Cummins to miss Australia’s white-ball series against India and New Zealand. Since returning from the Caribbean tour, he has been restricted to light gym work, avoiding running and bowling, while hoping the tension in his back eases.
Having battled injuries throughout the first six years of his international career, Pat Cummins is well aware of the risks. Pushing too hard too soon could trigger a stress fracture, something he is cautious to avoid.
“I’m never going to go into a Test match unless I know I can finish it. When you’re 18 or 19, you aim for perfect rehab, even if it takes six months. Now, with the Ashes, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to play. If I’m not 100% by the end, I can take a break next year … there isn’t another Ashes series,” Pat Cummins told cricket.com.au.
Cummins has historically bowled over 400 overs annually, but his workload has dropped significantly in 2025, with just 175.1 overs bowled in the first nine months.
“I’m still doing a bit of gym” – Pat Cummins on his rehab
As the Ashes approach, Cummins remains optimistic about regaining his pace, even if it means missing a few games.
“Do the rehab properly and give it a solid effort. The Ashes is a huge series—it doesn’t get much bigger. So you’re willing to take a few risks and push a bit to play as much Test cricket as you can. I gave it another month after the tour, kept things fairly quiet to help it settle, and had another scan on Monday. It wasn’t terrible, but it showed there’s still a little something there, so I’ve got to be careful for the next little while,” Cummins explained.
“I’m still doing a bit of gym work, but no running or bowling yet. Once we get that right, we’ll start building toward the summer. There’s plenty of time—about 12 weeks until the first Test—so we’ll see how it goes in the coming weeks,” he added.
While the exact cause of his injury remains unclear, Cummins suggested it could be linked to the heavy workload during the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s earlier this year, where he bowled 35.1 overs over four days.