Captain Pat Cummins in doubt for Champions Trophy after ankle injury in India series win

Pat Cummins played through a significant portion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series with discomfort in his ankle, but is now in doubt for Australia’s tilt at the Champions Trophy.

Pat Cummins played through a significant portion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series with discomfort in his ankle and is in doubt for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

The Australian captain and star paceman was on Thursday confirmed to be missing the Test tour of Sri Lanka ahead of the birth of his second child, however national selection chair George Bailey also revealed that the 31-year-old was due to undergo scans after being troubled by the ankle issue over the summer.

Bailey could not provide clarity over whether Cummins would feature in the Champions Trophy, an event Australia has not won since 2009.

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Australia captain Pat Cummins will miss the Sri Lanka tour, and is in doubt for the Champions Trophy. Picture: AFP

The Aussies’ first game of the 50-over event – being held across Pakistan and the UAE – is against England in Lahore on February 22.

“Pat’s obviously on paternity leave for the next little bit,” Bailey said.

“There’s a little bit of work to do. He’s got a little bit of a sore ankle as well. So I think in the next week or so, he’s got a scan coming there, and we’ll probably get a bit more information around where that’s at.

“I’m not really sure yet (whether he will miss the Champions Trophy). I think we have to wait and sort of see where that where that scan comes back, and see how it’s tracking.”

Fellow quick Josh Hazlewood was meanwhile been ruled out of the Sri Lanka Tests as he recovers from the calf injury that ended his involvement in the series against India.

“He’s working really hard. And all the news of how he’s responding to the recovery from the calf injury is coming along really well,” Bailey said.

“It’s just probably a little bit tight, given the amount of time that he would have missed. And again, looking at potentially how we may structure up and the loads those quicks may be put under, unfortunately for him, he didn’t quite get there in time.

“But really confident that he should be fit and raring to go for the Champions Trophy.”

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Pat Cummins played all five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and consistently featured among the wickets. Picture: AFP

Bailey meanwhile confirmed that selectors were optimistic of regaining injured all-rounder Cameron Green for June’s World Test Championship final, albeit only as a batter.

Fellow all-rounder Mitch Marsh has been dumped from the Test squad but Bailey would not yet rule a line through his Test career.

“Clearly omitted from this one, but I don’t necessarily see it as the end of the road for him. I think Mitch at his best and with a longer-term view of potentially what the Ashes (next summer) may look like and what England may throw at us there, I think he’s got a skill set that suits there, not taking away from the fact that at some stage, clearly we’re going to have the return of Cameron Green as well into the team.

“But I’m probably not as glass half empty around where that leaves Mitch.”

The squad for the Champions Trophy is likely to be announced by early next week.

Originally published as Captain Pat Cummins in doubt for Champions Trophy after ankle injury in India series win