# Cricket: Australian captain Pat Cummins is expected to miss at least the first Ashes Test against England through injury. A back niggle keeps him from resuming bowling, only six weeks before the start of the opener in Perth on the 21st of next month. Cummins may reportedly also be a doubt for the whole of the series, continuing with matches in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. If he can’t play, Steve Smith is expected to lead the side, with Scott Boland coming in as replacement bowler.
Cricket: Doubt over Cummins’ fitness for Ashes series