Cummins’ injury concerns heading into this winter’s Ashes could be a case of a career about to come full circle – but not in the way Australia’s captain will have wanted.
He made his debut as an 18-year-old in 2011 against South Africa, becoming the second-youngest player in the world to take a five-wicket haul in an innings at that time, despite sustaining a heel injury during the match.
But his explosive debut proved to be something of a false dawn. Cummins had to wait another six years to make his second Test appearance as a young body failed to withstand the load of fast bowling, suffering repeated stress fractures to his lower back.
Fast-forward 14 years to the upcoming winter of 2025 and back problems have once again resurfaced, albeit this time as “lumbar bone stress” rather than a fracture. He has not bowled a ball since July.
If back injuries have plagued Cummins’ Test career, periods of fitness have been filled with ebullient excellence as a thoroughbred quick.
The 32-year-old, who was made Test captain in the wake of Tim Paine’s resignation shortly before the 2021-22 Ashes, has taken 309 Test wickets at an average of 22.10.
He is even more formidable in Australia, taking 177 wickets at 19.92, while he’s also taken 91 wickets against England in just 19 matches.
In the most recent Ashes series in 2023, Cummins played in all five Tests, one of only two bowlers to do so along with Stuart Broad, taking 18 wickets.
A talismanic leader, Cummins enjoyed a glorious 2023 as captain, taking six wickets in the triumphant World Test Championship final and starring in the 50-over World Cup final victory in Ahmedabad – both against India.
He is the only captain in Test history to win the World Test Championship, World Cup and an Ashes series.
Cummins is also the joint-fifth fastest bowler to reach 150 Test wickets, achieving the milestone against India in Adelaide in 2020 in his 31st match.