Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has decided to sit out the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa scheduled in August 2025. The series includes three T20Is and three ODIs which will be played across Darwin, Cairns, and Mackay.
This move is part of Cummins’ plan to manage his workload and focus on being fully fit for the Ashes later this year. He will also miss the T20I series against the West Indies, starting July 21. Now, with the South Africa tour also ruled out, the fast-bowler will use this time to work on his fitness away from match action. His focus will be on getting his body ready for the long home summer ahead.
Even though he is Australia’s ODI captain, Pat Cummins has only played twice in that role since leading the team to World Cup glory in 2023. He has been managing an ankle injury that kept him out of the Champions Trophy earlier this year as well.
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Pat Cummins Pulls Out of South Africa Tour, Focuses on Ashes Preparation
Cummins explained that he won't be bowling much during this break, but will spend time in the gym focusing on strength and conditioning. While his body feels okay, he wants to sort out a few minor issues and slowly get back to full match fitness.
"I'll have a good training block for the next couple of months, six weeks or so. Probably not bowling, but lots of gym work. [My] body feels pretty good, but there are always little bits and pieces you're always trying to get right and then build up for the summer. So it'll probably look like white-ball [cricket]…we've got some [matches against] New Zealand, India, potentially a Shield game and then into the home summer," Cummins said as quoted to reporters at Sabina Park.
He will most likely return to play a few T20Is against New Zealand in early October. Apart from that, he could feature in limited-overs matches against India or even turn up for New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield game before the Ashes.
Josh Hazlewood Rested for West Indies T20Is
Jake Fraser-McGurk and Xavier Bartlett have been named in Australia’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies. They come in as replacements for Spencer Johnson and Josh Hazlewood.
Johnson is still on the road to recovery from a back issue he picked up in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025), while Hazlewood has flown back home to get ready for the South Africa tour next month.
Mitchell Marsh will lead the side in the five-match T20I series. Cummins, Travis Head and Mitchell Starc, who is about to play his 100th Test, will return to Australia after finishing the red-ball series and won’t feature in the T20Is against the Windies.
Australia T20I squad vs West Indies: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa, Xavier Bartlett, Jake Fraser-McGurk
