Starc, who has signed on to play BBL for the Sydney Sixers for the first time in more than a decade, said Cummins has been in attendance at recent training sessions in Sydney as he retains his core fitness leading into the summer.<\/p>\n
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. <\/a><\/p>\n It is understood the star bowler has been doing strength work with his legs but is being held back from any rotational work. The back problem aside, Cummins has endured soft tissue and ankle issues in recent years and will be keen to minimise a potential flare up when he is finally cleared to begin bowling again.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s pretty level. He\u2019s been floating around a little bit. Pat is still in his program and has obviously got a few sets of eyes on him in his return,\u201d Starc said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in good spirits. He\u2019s ultra positive as always. There\u2019s still some weeks to go before we get to Perth for the Test prep. We\u2019ll see where that lands. Hopefully, we\u2019ll see a lot of him through the summer and we\u2019ll see what we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Cummins opted for a lighter lead-in to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series last summer and, although perhaps underdone in the first Test, was able to fire when leading Australia to success in that series.<\/p>\n Starc is confident that once he is able to bowl again, it will not take long for the 31-year-old to find his peak again.<\/p>\n READ MORE <\/p>\n Forgotten men back in the frame; who could win debut chance<\/a> \u2014 Aussie race to replace Cummins <\/p>\n \u2018Devastating\u2019 Cummins blow as Aussie skipper set to miss Ashes opener… and maybe much more<\/a><\/p>\n Has Labuschagne earned a Test recall? | 02:17<\/p>\n \u201cI found one thing playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn\u2019t need much. Whether he bowls three warm-up balls, (the) first over the game he\u2019s on the money,\u201d Starc said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe just knows when to switch on or how to switch on really quickly. Whatever it looks like for him in his prep, it\u2019s going to be certainly different to what mine feels and looks like. That comes with experience and age.<\/p>\n \u201cNo doubt we\u2019ll all, not just myself or Pat, we\u2019ll all in the squad be preparing slightly differently, playing different games or amounts of cricket, heading into the very important Test series.\u201d<\/p>\n Jhye Richardson is among those hopeful of being available for Ashes duties by midway through this summer\u2019s series as he too recovers from injury but is confident Scott Boland will shoulder the load with distinction in Cummins absence.<\/p>\n The Western Australian, who is back bowling after shoulder surgery but is yet to hit top pace as he eyes off a return to domestic cricket late next month, said the situation surrounding the Australian captain was unfortunate.<\/p>\n But Richardson, who took five wickets against England in his most recent Test outing for Australia in Adelaide in 2021 and has 11 wickets in three matches for his country, has no concerns about the nation\u2019s depth.<\/p>\n \u201cI think if Scotty is the one to come in straight away, I think he\u2019s proven. When he does get his opportunity, he grabs it with both hands,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cSo there\u2019s no doubt that I think this Australian setup, who it has or who it doesn\u2019t have, is going to be competitive no matter what. And I think it being an Ashes series just \u2026 drives everyone just that little bit more. <\/p>\n \u201cSo I think no matter who it is coming into the squad or coming into the team, (there is) absolutely full faith that they\u2019re going to get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 09: Pat Cummins poses during a portrait session at the National Cricket Centre on September 09, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde\/Getty Images for Cricket Australia)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Starc said the Australian attack had approached recent series as a quartet, rather than simply as the Big 3, and is confident the Victoria star will deliver with distinction again on home soil.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly in recent years, it\u2019s always been a squad mentality or a group mentality in terms of particular bowlers and knowing how much hard work it is,\u201d Starc said. <\/p>\n \u201cObviously we\u2019re not a young group anymore, but I think everyone knows the skills and the ability of Scott Boland. Whether you\u2019ve seen him light up the MCG or seen him for years for Victoria.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know the skill set that he offers. He\u2019s such a fantastic character. His ability is amazing and quite rightly a Test-match winning bowler. If he\u2019s called upon for a lot more Test cricket, what a man. They\u2019ll build him a statue sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n Victorian captain Will Sutherland, who has just returned from an Australia A tour of India, said Boland is expected to play in two of the state\u2019s next three Sheffield Shield outings leading into the opening Test in Perth on November 21.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m giving anything away there (because) it was three out of four to start the season for his prep,\u201d Sutherland said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very lucky to have the big bowler whenever we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Cummins fully focussed on Ashes return | 01:55<\/p>\n The potential prolonged absence of Cummins has raised queries as to who will captain in his absence, but Australian star Glenn Maxwell believes there is no doubt Steve Smith will assume the role.<\/p>\n The champion batter captained in Cummins\u2019 absence from the Sri Lanka tour this year and led with distinction eight years after losing the role in the aftermath of the debacle that unfolded in South Africa seven years ago.<\/p>\n While Starc was in Sydney, Richardson and his peers were speaking at the launch of the 2025-26 Big Bash League in Melbourne on Thursday and one needed only to glance around Southbank to understand just how testing cricket can be.<\/p>\n Richardson is recovering from a shoulder reconstruction. Sutherland was unable to bowl for a period last year due to a side strain.<\/p>\n White ball star Spencer Johnson, who is currently sidelined with stress fractures in his back, was also in attendance.<\/p>\n Maxwell, meanwhile, is recovering from yet another injury after his arm was broken when he was struck by a powerful shot from Mitch Owens while bowling to the Tasmanian in the nets prior to the recent New Zealand T20 series.<\/p>\n The issue Cummins and co are experiencing is, Richardson said, \u201cpart and parcel\u201d of bowling but the 29-year-old was unable to identify a significant contributing factor. <\/p>\n \u201cI think you have to expect it at some stage. It happens to a lot of fast bowlers. It\u2019s very rare that fast bowlers go through their career without having some sort of setback,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cSo I think it\u2019s difficult to say whether it is or isn\u2019t, you know, (something) to do with sport science, with the rotation and with the amount of games. <\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s an element of everything. I think there\u2019s an argument to every sort of aspect of fast bowling which could contribute to an injury. It is a bit above my pay grade to comment on why or why we don\u2019t get injured.\u201d<\/p>\n MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 09: Jhye Richardson of the Scorchers speaks to the mediaduring the 2025\/26 Big Bash Kit Launch on October 09, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick\/Getty Images for Cricket Australia)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Johnson, who is still hopeful of being able to participate in the T20 World Cup next February and March in India and Sri Lanka, said it was frustrating to be sidelined given the amount of international opportunities coming up.<\/p>\n Australia will begin an intriguing white ball series against India in just over a week preceding the Ashes against England, with the T20 World Cup now four months away.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s never great timing being injured. Unfortunately, especially in this calendar year, there\u2019s plenty of white ball cricket,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of the back, I was planning on staying here in the winter and making sure this summer was a big one, hopefully for Australia. Unfortunately it wasn\u2019t to be, but there\u2019s always opportunities. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s still plenty of cricket to play post Christmas, and there\u2019s obviously a T20 World Cup, which is something I\u2019d love to be a part of. But unfortunately, in the short term, it\u2019s not ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1759535888_361_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
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