Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins will miss at least the first few matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to a lumbar stress injury, with selectors confirming he is likely to join the squad later.
Pat Cummins will miss at least the opening matches of the 2026 T20 World Cup, according to Australia’s chief selector George Bailey. Cummins is still recovering from a lumbar bone stress injury that ruled him out of four Tests during the 2025–26 Ashes. He briefly returned in the third Test at Adelaide, taking six wickets, but later missed the final two matches.
Australia had hoped Cummins would be ready for the WC. However, current timelines suggest he may join the squad only after the first few games. The T20 World Cup starts on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
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Josh Hazlewood and Tim David Miss Pakistan Series
Bailey also explained the absence of Josh Hazlewood and Tim David from the Pakistan T20I series. Hazlewood and David are managing minor fitness issues but remain on track for the tournament start. Cummins is expected to return around the third or fourth match.
“[David] had a very minor setback (for hamstring injury recovery), I think last week, so didn’t quite get through a running session that he was hoping to, but has since been cleared of any damage. It was just, I think, on the back of a heavy week. So he’s still tracking for the start of the tournament. Josh is in the same boat and Pat’s a little bit different … he’ll probably join that World Cup group a little bit later in the tournament, around game three or four,”George Bailey said.
“If we can, absolutely, that’s the plan. Clearly, if something moves and we’re forced to cover that, we will, but, yes, hopefully all things being equal, that’ll be how that one plays out,” the selector concluded.
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