Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
Australian Test skipper, Pat Cummins, who recently concluded a stint in the MLC in the USA, has been granted rest from Australia’s white-ball tours of Scotland and England next month. He will now be aiming for a brief return to the Sheffield Shield to finetune his form ahead of the Test series against India, commencing in November.
Cummins indicated that Australian men’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, recently contacted him to inform him of the decision, which was made with regard to managing his workload.
“Ronnie [Andrew McDonald] called me the other day and said we needed to talk about this. I prefer to go a little bit fresher, but definitely play some cricket going in,” Cummins told News Corp.
Cummins also provided a clear indication of the number of domestic matches he planned on participating in as preparation for the demanding series later in the year as well as their two-match Test tour to Sri Lanka, which is set to commence in February 2025.
“I’d say it’s either two or three ODIs, plus a Shield [game] or maybe just some Shield, maybe some NSW one-day stuff. I imagine kind of late October/early November will be when I start playing building up for the Tests,” noted Cummins.
Cummins stated that he would dedicate the forthcoming period to strength and conditioning in preparation for the domestic summer.
“I’ll have a good six or eight weeks off bowling where I’ll get in the gym every day, do some running, and get some strength back into my body,” added Cummins.
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These seven Tests will determine whether Australia will secure the opportunity to defend their World Test Championship title at Lord’s next June. Currently, they are positioned second in the standings, trailing behind India. Cummins will be optimistic about making a significant impact upon his return to international cricket.
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