The making of Australia ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 faced an early hurdle with the senior fast bowler Pat Cummins is preparing to miss the opening round of the tournament. The development was confirmed by Australia’s chief selector George Baileyannounced that Cummins would not be available for the first few matches.
The Australian camp remains optimistic about Cummins’ eventual involvement, but caution appears to be the guiding principle as the team tries to manage one of its most valuable all-format players during a demanding international calendar.
The reason why Pat Cummins will miss the first few matches of T20 World Cup 2026
It should be noted that Cummins has been dealing with a stress injury to his spine, which is the first time the problem has come to light. 2025–26 Ashes series. Injury significantly hampered his participation in this competition, forcing him to sit out four of the five Tests. Although he returned briefly during the third Test in Adelaide and produced an impressive six-wicket performance, the right-armer later opted to sit out the rest of the series to avoid aggravating the problem.
Medical advice and workload management have since been central to shaping Australia’s plans for Cummins, especially with a global event like the T20 World Cup on the horizon.
Speaking about Cummins’ availability, Bailey revealed that he was aiming for a slightly delayed entry for Australia’s pace. According to the coach, Cummins is expected to link up with the World Cup squad for the third or fourth match of the tournament, provided his rehabilitation goes smoothly.
“He’ll probably join the World Cup squad a bit later in the tournament, around the third or fourth game. If we can, that’s absolutely the plan.” Bailey was quoted as saying by Cricket.com.au.
Bailey emphasized that while the team wanted Cummins available from the start, it had no intention of bringing him back. He noted that Australia was prepared to adjust the squad if conditions required, stressing the importance of long-term fitness over short-term gains.
“Obviously, if something moves and we have to cover it, we’ll do it, but yeah, hopefully, all things being equal, it will.” Bailey added.
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Impact on Australia’s early campaign
Cummins’ absence from the early matches could affect Australia’s bowling combinations in the early stages of the tournament. As a proven leader with vast experience in high-pressure situations, his unavailability puts an added onus on the rest of the fast-bowling group to perform both with the new ball and with the death.
However, Australia have considerable depth in their pace bowling and the team management is confident that the interim solutions can see Cummins through the campaign until he is ready to return.
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