Pat Cummins' Champions Trophy participation under mild doubt following ankle injury

Australia skipper Pat Cummins faces minor uncertainty over his ICC Champions Trophy 2025 participation having picked up an ankle injury towards the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

Across the five Tests, Cummins (167.0) bowled more overs than any other bowler and the heavy workload came on the back of the Australia skipper not having played any Test cricket for nearly 10 months. 

Australian chairman of selectors George Bailey revealed that Cummins has a scan scheduled later this week. The selectors will know the latter’s availability for the mega event only after the scan results are released.

"There's a little bit of work to do, he [Cummins] has 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 get a bit more information around where that's at,” Bailey told reporters on January 9 (Thursday).

When asked if the 31-year-old will definitely make it to the Champions Trophy, Bailey said that he cannot give any assurances at this point.

"Not really sure yet, we'll have to wait and see where that scan comes back and where it's tracking," Bailey said.

While Cummins will miss the forthcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child, Bailey revealed that Josh Hazlewood was rested for the series as the selectors were not particularly keen on straining him a month before the Champions Trophy.

"He's working really hard, and all the news on how he's responding to the calf injury is coming along really well," Bailey said of Hazlewood.

"It was just probably a little bit tight (for this squad) given the amount of time he would've missed and again looking how we potentially may structure up those loads those quicks may be put under. It just worked out that unfortunately for him he didn't quite get there in time but really confident he should be fit and raring to go for the Champions Trophy."

Australia’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign will begin on February 22 against England. The Kangaroos will play each of their three group games in Pakistan.