Durban, Sep 23 (IANS) Australia’s ODI captain Pat Cummins is likely to sit out the series opener against South Africa here on Thursday, with the visitors opting to carefully manage their core pace attack ahead of the upcoming high-stakes Test series.
According to a report in Cricinfo on Wednesday, Cummins arrived in South Africa later than fellow frontline fast bowler Mitchell Starc, and is set to have his workload managed alongside Starc and Josh Hazlewood across the three-match ODI series to be played in Durban, Johannesburg, and Potchefstroom.
Both Cummins and Starc had previously missed the ODI tour of Zimbabwe, which Australia won 3-0, as part of their preparation for the Test series against South Africa, which carries crucial points in the race for the 2027 World Test Championship (WTC) final.
As per the report, with three ODIs scheduled over seven days accompanied by inter-city travel, Australia are unlikely to push their trio of Test quicks through all three matches. Cummins had flagged last month that he might feature in as few as one ODI before the Test matches.
Hazlewood, who played just one game during the Zimbabwe series as part of his workload management, could feature alongside Starc in the first and third ODIs, while Cummins may play only the second match as his sole outing. Starc acknowledged that fast bowler Nathan Ellis, who was Australia’s standout bowler in Zimbabwe, has made a strong case for consistent selection in the ODI setup.
“I think he’s grown into himself as a confident ODI bowler over the last few years, and it’s great to see him get that reward in the series. He probably led the attack in the absence of Josh playing one game, Pat and I not over there, so really pushing his case as a lock as a pick in the one-day team, and no doubt he’ll look to perform in these three as well,” Starc was quoted as saying in the report after a training session.
Ellis’s inclusion presents a tactical conundrum for the Australian team management when all frontline fast bowlers are fit, as his role as a middle-overs and death-overs specialist closely mirrors that of skipper Cummins, while Starc and Hazlewood remain Australia’s primary new-ball options.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who took over as ODI deputy following Steven Smith’s retirement in 2025, is expected to lead whenever Cummins is rested, including in Thursday’s game. Cummins is slated to undergo similar management during Australia’s upcoming ODI assignments against England in November and New Zealand next August to prioritise his Test commitments.
Australia’s ODI squad options in South Africa have been further stretched due to injuries. Fast bowler Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the tour with a side strain, while Spencer Johnson has returned home to rest ahead of Australia A’s 50-over matches in India, to be played in Puducherry in October.
All-rounder Jack Edwards has been drafted into the squad as cover, particularly with Cameron Green nursing a shoulder issue that kept him out of the Zimbabwe series. If Green is cleared to play in Durban, it could force a middle-order reshuffle, with wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey under pressure to retain his spot in the playing eleven.
–IANS
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