Australia captain Pat Cummins is “heavily unlikely” to feature in the Champions Trophy, while fellow pacer Josh Hazlewood also remains doubtful for the ODI tournament, head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on Wednesday.
Cummins, who skipped the Test tour of Sri Lanka for the birth of his second child, has been struggling with an ankle injury that worsened following Australia’s Test series victory over India last month.
“Pat Cummins hasn’t been able to resume any type of bowling so he’s heavily unlikely,” McDonald told Australian radio station SEN.
“So that would mean that we do need a captain. Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we’ve been having conversations with while we’ve been building out that Champions Trophy team.”
Hazlewood missed three of the five India Tests and the Sri Lanka tour with side and calf injuries.
McDonald said he was battling to be fit and a decision would be made once medical information landed in coming days.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has already been ruled out of the Champions Trophy with a back injury.
The tournament starts on February 19 and is being co-hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
A team spokesperson earlier confirmed Sam Konstas had been released from Australia’s squad ahead of the second Test in Sri Lanka and will return home to play for New South Wales in their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland in Brisbane.
Nineteen-year-old Konstas, who scored a swashbuckling 60 on his Test debut against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day, was dropped for the series-opener against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Head moved up from the middle order to replace Konstas and scored 57 in Australia’s innings and 242-run win.
“Konstas has been released from the Australian squad to play his first match at the Gabba and gain further experience at the venue,” a team spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The Gabba will host the second Ashes Test against England in December.
Head said he expected Konstas would return to the Test squad for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.
“Most likely I’ll go back in the middle order and Sam will open,” Head told Australian media in Galle.
Australia will look to sweep Sri Lanka 2-0 with victory in the second Test in Galle starting on Thursday.
