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Australia’s Cummins admits he may not be fit for first Ashes Test

Published

2 weeks ago

October 13, 2025

Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Monday he was more likely than not to miss the first Ashes test in Perth next month and is not absolutely certain of being fit for the second in Brisbane.

A back stress injury has Cummins racing against time to be fit for the first day of the Ashes opener on November 21, with the paceman yet to resume bowling in his rehabilitation period.

“I wouldn’t put percentage on it, but I’d say probably less likely than likely, but I’ve still got a bit of time,” the 32-year-old told reporters in Sydney.

“We get into bowling preparation I think next week, so probably a couple of weeks away before actually putting on the spikes and bowling out on turf. But it’s been a good couple of weeks, each session feels better and better.”

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said on Friday that Cummins probably needed to be back bowling a minimum of four weeks to have a chance of playing in Perth without running the risk of further injury.

“You’d want at least, probably a month in the nets,” Cummins said.

“If you play a test match, you want to make sure you’re right to bowl 20 overs in a day and you don’t have to really think about it.

“So four weeks is pretty tight. But I think somewhere around that mark.”

Given he has not started bowling yet, Cummins said he was not prepared to commit to being ready to play the day-night second Ashes test at the Gabba starting on December 4.

“I think it’s a bit early to know with these things,” Cummins added.

“It’s pretty hard to go from not bowling or anything at all to suddenly playing five tests. So, first step is trying to kind of give us a shot at being right, and then work it out closer.”

Cummins has been ever-present in Ashes clashes since his first test against England in the 2017-18 series, helping Australia first win back and then retain the urn ever since.

“Some days I’m kind of annoyed because of the Ashes and it’s a big summer and then other days I’m realistic,” he said.

“I’ve had the last seven or eight years almost uninterrupted home summers, so I feel like that’s a really good run as a fast bowler. Maybe it’s my turn.”

If Cummins is not fit to play in Perth, former skipper Steve Smith is likely to captain the team with Scott Boland replacing him in the pace attack.

“I think in the last few years, one of the things we’ve done really well is when someone’s missed out, someone stepped straight in and done a brilliant job,” said Cummins.

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Babar Azam picked as Fakhar Zaman’s replacement for South Africa T20Is, says Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson

Published

53 minutes ago

October 26, 2025

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After staying out of favour in the Twenty20 International format for Pakistan’s last five assignments, former skipper Babar Azam was picked for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa only after Fakhar Zaman’s decided to skip it, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson said on Sunday.

Since Hesson took over the role in June, Babar hasn’t featured for Pakistan in T20Is with the national side playing series against Bangladesh, the West Indies and a tri-nation series followed by the Asia Cup during that period.

Hesson had cited the right-hander’s low strike-rate as the reason for his absence. But Babar’s selection for the series, which starts in Rawalpindi on Tuesday raised suggested a change of mind for the coach before the New Zealander clarified it.

“I certainly endorse his selection,” Hesson said of Babar while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Pakistan’s training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. “We’ve sent him (Fakhar) back to first-class cricket after a conversation with him.

“He wanted to focus on improving his technique for one-day cricket, so we gave him a bit of a break from T20s. That’s created an opportunity for another top-order player.”

Hesson confirmed that Babar will take the number three spot instead of the batter’s preferred opening position, where he flourished for Pakistan for a substantial period before eventually falling in form and then out of favour.

The coach, however, has expectations from Babar to make a strong comeback and suggested he saw him in Pakistan’s plans for the T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in February-March next year in India and Sri Lanka.

“It’s a great chance to have Babar back,” said the coach. “He’s likely to bat at number three, a role I’m confident he’ll perform well in.

“It also gives our squad some flexibility ahead of the [T20] World Cup.”

‘Haris needs to work’

Babar’s unexpected return also coincided with the axing of wicket-keeper-batter Mohammad Haris from the Pakistan squad even after he received ample backing from the team management across Hesson’s tenure so far.

The 24-year-old proved his mettle with a century against Bangladesh back in June but gradually lost form amid frequent change of batting positions.

Hesson believed Haris needed to go back to the drawing board to fix his issues.

“Haris has had a number of opportunities recently, and he’d be the first to admit he hasn’t made the most of them,” he said. “But he’s still young and developing, so I wouldn’t say his career is over.

“He needs to work on his decision-making with the bat. Even in domestic T20s, he averages around 17, similar to international cricket, so that’s an area for improvement.”

Haris has been replaced by Usman Khan — who last year gave up on a career in the United Arab Emirates to play for Pakistan before being eventually dropped. He emerged out of nowhere and Hesson said he sees the right-hander, who keeps wickets as well, as a good player of spin.

“We see our wicket-keeper batting more through the middle rather than at the top, especially with spin being such a big factor in Sri Lanka during the World Cup. That’s why Usman has been given this opportunity.”

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FIFA announces new ASEAN Cup for Southeast Asia

Published

3 hours ago

October 26, 2025

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A new tournament, the FIFA ASEAN Cup, will be launched as part of an agreement between FIFA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), aimed at boosting the development of football across the region.

The announcement was made during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, where FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding.

The tournament will bring together national teams from all ASEAN member states in a format inspired by the Arab Cup, which was first organised by FIFA in 2021.

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“This will be a great addition to the regional football calendar,” Infantino said.

“Through the FIFA ASEAN Cup, we are uniting countries together, and this competition will be a huge success as it will help boost national team football in the ASEAN region and support the development of our sport across all of Southeast Asia.”

World football’s governing body will work with regional stakeholders including the Asian Football Confederation, the ASEAN Football Federation, and the relevant FIFA member associations to finalise the tournament’s format.

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