Reports: Pat Cummins in line to miss New Zealand T20Is amid fitness concerns ahead of Ashes

Australia's Test skipper Pat Cummins is reportedly in line to miss the impending T20I tour of New Zealand, with Cricket Australia (CA) prioritising his fitness ahead of the home Ashes series.

The 32-year-old pacer, who also skipped the recent white-ball series against the West Indies and South Africa, will undergo routine scans on his back after complaining of stiffness since returning from the Caribbean last month, as per a report from CODE Sports.

Cricket Australia's decision to give their premier seam-bowling all-rounder a breather highlights its focus on preserving his fitness for the five-Test Ashes series, commencing in Perth in November. While Cummins is set to skip the New Zealand tour, he is expected to be available in October's ODI series against India and feature in at least one Sheffield Shield encounter for New South Wales ahead of the Ashes.

Speaking on Thursday, fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood confirmed that Australia's Test pacers will follow different preparation schedules leading into the five-match series, with the coveted urn on the line.

"The Test guys will play more than one Shield game. They'll probably play two or three, but everyone's on different programs. I used it last year and found it very beneficial - time on the field, multiple spells in a day, it's hard to replicate at training," Hazlewood told reporters.

"It felt like over the last 12 months the best way for me to go about it is just keep ticking over, keep playing, not having too long off bowling. If I can just stay up there at match intensity as long as I can, that's the best way forward," the right-arm seamer added.

Australia's seam-bowling department has been battling with injuries of late. Lance Morris, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis are recuperating from niggles, leaving Cummins, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland shouldering the responsibility of leading the attack in the Ashes.

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Meanwhile, Australia's three-match T20I series against New Zealand is set to get underway on October 1. All three matches will be played at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. The next two T20Is will be held at the same venue on October 3 and 4. The Men in Yellow recently played three T20Is and as many ODIs against South Africa at home. While Australia won the T20I series, the Proteas emerged victorious in the ODIs.