Australia likely to rest Pat Cummins for upcoming ODI series vs England

The Australian cricket team will tour South Africa for a four-Test series starting March 1, and the selectors want to rest their ace fast bowlers before that, especially Pat Cummins.

Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are unlikely to feature in all five ODIs between Australia and England, with the two teams are set for a five-match ODI series starting January 14 ahead of their T20I tri-series involving New Zealand.

Australia are likely to rest Pat Cummins, as well as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, for the upcoming ODI series vs England. (AFP)

The Steve Smith-led Australian cricket team will tour South Africa for a four-Test series starting March 1, and the selectors want to rest their ace fast bowlers before that, especially Cummins.

Barring Starc, who missed the fourth Ashes Test at Melbourne against England, both Cummins and Hazlewood have featured in all five Ashes Tests so far.

Cummins, who had missed Test cricket for as many as six years due to injuries returned to the Australian side last year during their tour of India. The right-arm pacer went on to surprise many, including himself, by featuring in all five Ashes 2017-18 Tests.

“They’re going to reassess after this game. There was a bit of chat we might rest from one or two. We’ve got a bit of a break before the ODIs start. I don’t know yet. It takes a little bit to get over each Test but once you’re over a Test, you’re ready to start bowling and 10 overs in an ODI is a bit easier than a Test,” Cummins was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

In order to ensure that the ace fast bowling troika gets ample rest, Australia have already named Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson in the ODI squad for the series against the England cricket team.

According to cricket.com.au, Cummins told ABC Radio that he was surprised having endured a tough Ashes series without any fitness issue. “At the start of the summer, being pretty realistic I thought five games would have been a long stretch,” he said.

Cummins added, “I’ve been really surprised with how well I’ve pulled up after each game. If we’d had a few heavier games and I had a few aches and pains then it probably would have been spoken about.”