Pat Cummins ruled out of second Test against West Indies, new captain announced

Australian skipper Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the second test against West Indies due to a quadricep strain. In the absence of Cummins, Steve Smith will lead the Kangaroo side, and Scot Boland has been named the replacement.

Cummins had been suffering from a quad injury since the first innings in Perth, and he did not bowl on the final two days of the first test which Australia won by 164 runs. On Tuesday night, he finished some light run-throughs, but it was never anticipated that the speedster would recover in time for Thursday’s game.

“Team medical staff commenced Cummins’ recovery in Adelaide but selectors deemed there was not sufficient time for the fast bowler to be fully fit for the match,” Cricket Australia said in a statement

I have to do it my own way: Steve Smith

Cummins is expected to be fit till the South Africa series next week in Brisbane. “I don’t think he was too far away (from playing) and he will continue to build this week. But with what’s coming up, a big series against South Africa and then Tests in India, there’s a lot of cricket,” Smith said of Cummins.

“From a strategic point of view, to have the possibility of (Cummins) going down and putting the load through the other quicks having bowled some overs at the end of the Perth Test, it was a risky decision to continue going,” he said.

Smith captained his side last summer as well in the Adelaide Test after Cummins had tested positive for Covid-19, he said that he will lead the side on his own. “I have to do it my own way, I can’t be someone else. I am pretty chilled – I took over for the game here last year and thought it went pretty smoothly. So same again,” he said.