Australia coach not ruling Cummins out of Ashes opener yet

Australia coach Andrew McDonald conceded on Friday that captain Pat Cummins was running out of time to be fit for the first Ashes test next month but said he had not yet been ruled out.

A back stress injury has cast doubt on the 32-year-old’s participation in the Ashes series, which starts on November 21, with the paceman yet to resume bowling in his rehabilitation period. McDonald said those suffering from back stress injuries experience “ebb and flow” in their recovery but that Cummins was feeling more positive this week.

McDonald said those suffering from back stress injuries experience “ebb and flow” in their recovery but that Cummins was feeling more positive this week.

The reality is, we’re starting to get tight in terms of the times,” McDonald said

“We’re still optimistic, hopeful, but this time next week, I think we’ll be in a position to get a better gauge on where he’s at. We’ve still got a little bit to go.

“One of the benefits with Patty is that he has had the ability to prepare for test matches off shortened preparations.

“So if it was to be shrunken down, we’d be very confident that he would still be able to perform in the first test.”

McDonald said Cummins probably needed to be back bowling a minimum of four weeks before the Perth test to have a chance to play without running the risk of further injury