Australia will have to play the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 without the services of their first coach Pat Cummins. Cummins was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Cricket Australia have named Ben Dwarshuis in place of Cummins for the elite tournament.
After being left out of the T20I squad, the pacer revealed his health and injuries. He informed that the back injury for which he was left out of the team is actually not serious enough and that he feels good now. Excluding Pat Cummins from the 2026 T20 World Cup was part of Australia’s long-term vision as the cricket governing body placed high importance on the bowler.
Australia to play 2026 T20 World Cup without Pat Cummins
In the upcoming T20 World Cup, the Australians will have to play without Cummins, as well as Mitchell Starc, who has already retired from the format. Another experienced point guard, Josh Hazlewood, is in the squad but doubtful for the opening matches of the tournament. Which means the Australian cricket team will have to rely on their remaining pacers, in the form of Ben Dwarshuis and Josh Inglis, for bowling duties.
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Australia has a long and busy schedule after the conclusion of the World Cup. Apart from his national team responsibilities, Pat Cummins is expected to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). Like IPL 2025, the Australian pacer is also named as the franchise leader for IPL 2026.
Cummins can feature in IPL 2026 for SRH
He said that if things go well, he will have no problem featuring in the IPL side. He will have another scan in a few weeks. The situation will then be clearer for him. So far, it’s the issue of the past that’s keeping Cummins from office. “We’ll just be guided by my back. We’ll have another scan in a few weeks, and if it’s good, then we’ll have a slow build-up. T20s are a little easier to assemble [than Tests]; that’s why I was so close to qualifying for this World Cup,” said Pat Cummins.
IPL 2026 begins on March 26 this year.
Early setback for Australia without Pat Cummins
With Cummins out of the squad, Australia suffered a heavy defeat against Pakistan, ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which sparked some concerns. Cummins believes that the setback suffered by Australia against Pakistan was mainly due to the hectic schedule the players had to follow ahead of the T20I series with Pakistan.
“They weren’t our best games [in Pakistan]but the guys are coming off a strong Big Bash, and a few guys are coming back from injury for the World Cup. Morale is good. Talking to a few boys from afar…they know how important it is; they’re desperate to get out there and get started,” Cummins said.
After the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, Australia will play three ODIs with Pakistan in June and then an all-format series with Bangladesh.
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