Ashes 2025: Pat Cummins Ruled Out for Brisbane; Australia Announces New Squad for 2nd Test

Udaipur, Nov 28, 2025: Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins will miss the second Test of the Ashes series against England. Australia announced its squad for the second Test on Friday. In Cummins’s absence, Steve Smith will lead the team. Shaun Abbott and Josh Hazlewood, who also missed the Perth Test, will not play in the Brisbane Test either. The second Test of the Ashes series begins on December 4. According to a statement from Cricket Australia, Cummins will travel to Brisbane with the team and focus on his recovery.

Australia’s squad for the Brisbane Test includes:

Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jack Weatherald, and Beau Webster.

Why Cummins Won’t Play:

Pat Cummins was expected to play in the second Test. He trained with the pink ball, but the 32-year-old said he was not fully confident about his fitness. Cummins told Fox Sports, “My recovery is going well. I have a good chance of playing the next match. I am hoping to play. The injury feels better now than it has in the last few weeks.”

What the Coach Said:

The coach said Cummins is close to completing his rehab. His morale is high, and his ball speed looks good. There are many positives, but the team wants to avoid any risk of the injury coming back. They do not want to increase the workload on the fast bowler.

Australia Ahead in the Series:

Australia beat England by 8 wickets in the first Test, which ended in two days. With a 1–0 lead in the five-match series, Australia will now try to win the second Test and take a 2–0 lead.