Pat Cummins ready to ‘take a few risks’ in attempt to be fit for ashes

Pat Cummins is willing to “take a few risks” and to be “aggressive” in his recovery of a back injury to lead Australia in the Ashes series of this winter.

The Captain of Australia will be absent for their upcoming White-Ball series against New Zealand and India because of lumbar bone stress, a common injury to fast bowlers with intense workload.

Cummins remains cheerful that he can go to the field against England in the first test, starting on November 21 in Perth, and he says he will do everything in his mission to prevent him from going wrong.

“That would be devastating (to be offside for the series opener), so we will do everything we can to be right,” Cummins told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.

“It is a large ashes series. It is not much bigger, so I think you are willing to take a few risks and be a bit aggressive to try to play as many tests as possible.

“It is (almost) 12 weeks until the first test, it feels far away, so we have enough time.”

Endeavor

Cummins reported that he felt pain after the 3-0 of Australia in July in the West Indies, when he bowed 60 overs in three weeks, and he has since been limited to light gym work.

The early part of his career was destroyed by back problems, but Cummins has proven itself as one of the best pacemen of his generation with 309 wickets in 71 tests on an average of 22.1.

As such, the 32-year-old is convinced that he does not necessarily need match practice to shoot at all cylinders to face England of Ben Stokes in a long-awaited series with five tests.

“In this phase of my career, I have the feeling that I can probably get informed a little faster than when I was 18 or 19,” Cummins added.

“At the time you probably have the feeling that you have to play a few (Sheffield) Shield games or one days. I am quite confident about it. Even if I don’t get a chance to play a Shield game, I can get at speed.”

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