Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins to take eight-week break from cricket

Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins has decided to take an eight-week break from cricket. The pacer has taken a strategic pause, potentially to boost his performance in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The past year has been incredibly demanding for Cummins, with a packed schedule that included the Ashes, ODI World Cup, various Test series, IPL, T20 World Cup, and most recently, the Major League Cricket campaign in the United States. This non-stop cricket schedule has taken its toll, prompting Cricket Australia to manage Cummins' workload carefully.

Cummins' decision to step away from cricket for eight weeks is part of a calculated plan to prepare for the highly anticipated five-Test series against India starting in late November. The break will allow him to focus on his strength work and conditioning.

"I’m very sore today after a week of gym, Hamstrings, even ankles, kind of build up over months of bowling, but you can’t really nail it while you’re in the midst of the season. I’ll be doing lots of gym, some running, a lot of rehab exercise that you just can’t really fit in the middle of the season," Cummins told Fox Cricket.

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I’ve basically been bowling non-stop since the WTC final: Pat Cummins

The Sydney-born plans to use this time for intensive gym work, running, and rehabilitation exercises. This training aims to make him less prone to injury and capable of bowling longer spells while maintaining speeds above 140km/h during the upcoming series.

“Everyone that comes back after a break and is a little bit fresher, you never regret it. I’ve basically been bowling non-stop since the World Test Championship final, nearly 18 months ago. This gives me a good seven or eight weeks completely off bowling so the body can recover, then you start building up again for the summer. It means you can hopefully bowl for a little bit longer, maintain pace is a bit easier, make you less susceptible to injuries,” he added.

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Cummins also acknowledged the significance of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which has slipped away from Australia since 2017. The 31-year-old also ranked the mighty Indians as a great side but is confident playing them in the historic Test series.

“It’s the trophy I haven’t won before … this is the one trophy a lot of our group haven’t ticked off. They’re a really good side. We play them quite a lot, we know them really well, but we feel like we’re really well placed also,” Cummins concluded.