Pat Cummins will not feature in the remainder of the Ashes series after being left out of Australia’s squad for the Boxing Day Test alongside Nathan Lyon, with two new faces named as reinforcements.
Yet Todd Murphy, the spinner called into the 15-man squad, and all-rounder Cameron Green are both in some doubt to face England after uncertainty was raised by coach Andrew McDonald.
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Jhye Richardson has been included in the squad as he eyes a return to the Test arena and could be part of a full-pace group, much like at the Gabba earlier this series when Lyon was rested.
Cameron Green and Todd Murphy are no certainties to play.Source: FOX SPORTS
Cummins signalled he could be rested to manage an ongoing back issue in his post-match press conference following the Adelaide Test, a move confirmed by McDonald on Tuesday.
“He’s pulled up fine, he won’t play any part in the rest of the series and that was a discussion we had a long time out around his return,” he said.
“We were taking on some risk, and people that reported on that would understand the risk associated with that rebuild.
“We have now won the series and that was the goal, so to position him in further risk and jeopardise him long-term is not something we want to do and Pat is really comfortable with that.
“If he had any setback in the build in as well, we would have shut him down straight away. Everything went smoothly… to navigate through that risk profile to get him back and take six wickets in that game and nail the Ashes series was really pleasing.”
It remains to be seen if he will be available for the T20 World Cup set to start in February: “I can’t really say at the moment, we are hopeful”.
Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the Ashes series.Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Lyon has also been ruled out after a hamstring injury suffered on day five of the Adelaide Test, which required surgery.
Murphy has previously replaced Lyon during an Ashes series following a soft tissue injury — in England in 2023, when the 38-year-old tore his calf.
“He’s pretty shattered, any time you’re facing a long time out and we saw that after the Lord’s Test as well,” McDonald said.
“He’s a huge part of what we do, as we saw that game got a little bit tighter and potentially with the resources we had could have gone another way.
“If we had Nathan fit at the back-end of that game, it might have been a little more comfortable than what it ended up being.
“I have spoken to him, he had surgery this morning… he’s facing a long recovery time frame.”
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But despite his age, McDonald was hopeful he can return to the field for the Border—Gavaskar Trophy, set to take place in early 2027.
“It’s going to take a lot of hard work, it’s going to be a hard period for him to get back to where he was, but he wants to do it and that’s the main thing,” he said.
“India is on the horizon and he will be a key part of that… in Adelaide, it was the best I have seen him bowl in a little bit in terms of shape and the energy he had on the ball.”
Murphy is yet to play a Test on home soil, with seven appearances next to his name and the first coming in India in 2023.
McDonald was quizzed on the decision to call Murphy into the squad, and whether it was a tough conversation to snub other potential candidates including Mitchell Swepson and Corey Corey Rocchiccioli.
“It’s always pretty robust when you have got three potential candidates or even four, Todd has been an important part of key overseas series,” he said.
“He played in the last Ashes back in 2023 and we feel as though Todd is back to his best. I think he had a couple of years where, by his own admission, he wasn’t probably performing to his own best.
“But he also was carrying a shoulder injury which wasn’t declared, sometimes people judge player’s performances without getting a full understanding of where we’re at.
“Spoke to Todd this morning, really excited for him to be back around the ground and we have some decisions to make, I just had a look at the wicket just then.
“Do we play a spinner, don’t we play a spinner? We will work through that.”
Todd Murphy of Australia A bowls.Source: Getty Images
As for Richardson, the Aussie head coach revealed his medical staff had put a plan in place for the Western Australian quick to return to the squad midway through the Ashes series.
He has emerged as a surprise contender to fill the slot left by Cummins, having played three Tests, debuting against Sri Lanka in 2019 and taking five wickets in the 2021 Ashes clash at Adelaide Oval.
But injuries have cruelled his career, most recently a shoulder issue which required surgery back in January.
“Another really good decision from the medical team, his shoulder just kept sort of falling out and was really unstable and he was contracted and made a decision to have that surgery,” McDonald said.
“With a view to coming back midway through the Ashes. We do have a bowling attack that has a high age profile, so we always need back-ups.
“He’s incredibly skilful and that decision back then, we are seeing some reward for that. It looks as though he has come back better.
“To intervene back then and to see him put in all the work… he doesn’t have to do anything when he is here, it’s more just he’s on the selection table.
“It’s a really great story and those that saw him last week, I think he’s ready to go if he was selected so really well done to him and the medical team.”
Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett have both also been named, with a final call on the remaining two spots in the bowling cartel to be made in the coming days.
One could partner Richardson if Cameron Green, who has just 76 runs in four attempts this Ashes along with limited bowling impact, is axed.
“He hasn’t got the runs he’d have liked,” McDonald said. “He’s bowled some important spells for us. His catching at the gully and shot-stopping ability there (is valuable).
“The returns haven’t been there, but we’ve also seen what capabilities and upside that he has. He’s an important part of what we’re setting out to achieve in the short-term and long-term. He’s a very good cricketer. I’m sure his next opportunity he’ll be able to show that, whenever that may be.”
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Usman Khawaja looks set to retain his place with Josh Inglis expected to be displaced by the returning Smith, while McDonald is certain Alex Carey will remain at No.6.
“I still like that opening combination of Weatherald and Head, I think that’s got a nice little dynamic to it,” he said.
“Whether Uz (Khawaja) breaks that up or goes into the middle and we sort of shuffle what we’ve got, Alex Carey at six, I like what he’s doing there.
“I will have a little bit of a say in that he will stay at six.
“We haven’t got that far around who is a lock, whose not… no doubt we will be talking about it.”
McDonald was also asked about what England have delivered so far in the Ashes series and whether their preparation has let them down.
“We focus on ourselves. We have been a little bit surprised at times, the way we have seen them play to what they’ve delivered at certain times,” he said.
“You’re planning for everything against an opponent, you plan for a low tempo, a high tempo… we put a lot of time into how they play leading in.
“It’s hard to know what they’re talking about in their change room, what they are planning and how they’re attacking us.
“We can hypothesise around that but that’s their problem, not ours.”
AUSTRALIAN SQUAD FOR FOURTH ASHES TEST
Steve Smith (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club) (c)
Scott Boland (VIC/Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club)
Alex Carey (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Brendan Doggett (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Cameron Green (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
Travis Head (SA/Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club)
Josh Inglis (WA/Joondalup Cricket Club)
Usman Khawaja (QLD/Valley District Cricket Club)
Marnus Labuschagne (QLD/Redlands Cricket Club)
Todd Murphy (VIC/St Kilda Cricket Club)
Michael Neser (QLD/Gold Coast Cricket Club)
Jhye Richardson (WA/Fremantle Cricket Club)
Mitchell Starc (NSW/Manly Warringah Cricket Club)
Jake Weatherald (TAS/) Kingborough Cricket Club
Beau Webster (TAS/Kingborough Cricket Club)