Fans put England greats in their place after Pat Cummins news sparks bold prediction

England has responded with barely concealed delight over the prospect of facing an Australian Test cricket side minus Pat Cummins in this summer's Ashes series. Cummins will miss next month's first Test in Perth with a back injury and is at increasingly long odds to play in any of the remaining four Tests as Australia look to retain the famous Urn.

England, which has not won a Test on Australian soil since 2011, will breathe a little easier knowing the champion fast bowler - and captain - is likely to be MIA. Former England captain Michael Vaughan declared: "Pat Cummins being ruled out of the first Ashes Test and potentially the series is a huge blow to the Aussies... England now have an incredible chance to get back the Urn."

Another ex-Test skipper, Mike Atherton, rates Cummins as Australia's most important player and almost irreplaceable. "The increasing despondency coming out of Australia about the chances of Pat Cummins making the opening Ashes Test immediately elicits two conflicting responses," Atherton wrote in his column for The Times.

"The first is the natural disappointment felt by those who like to see an optimal contest driven by the great players of the day; the second - quickly overwhelming the first - is that England’s chances, already decent in my opinion, will be much stronger still.

"It is hard to think of another Australia player who would be a bigger miss. Travis Head? Steve Smith Given Australia’s sketchy batting, they are hugely significant, but Cummins, as cricketer and captain, is their most important player. His absence would leave the Australian selectors, already doing a serious bout of head-scratching over the make-up of their top three, with a giant hole to fill.

"(He's their) Captain, leader, strike bowler, bringer of balance by dint of the ballast he offers at No.8 and a totemic player, who has led his country to Ashes success in 2021-22, as well as World Cup and World Test Championship triumphs in 2023. He is sharp, accurate and relentless (with ball) and (possesses) competitive nerve and instinct under pressure."

Joe Root could prosper as fans react to Pat Cummins news

England's best batsman, Joe Root, would be the most relieved to see no P. Cummins on Australia's team sheet. The veteran has fallen to Cummins more times than any other bowler - with 11 dismissals at an average of just 23.

Root has never scored a century or won a match in Australia and this may represent his best – and possibly last – chance to set that record straight. England fans have celebrated the news Cummins could miss the entire series, with one supporter posting on X: "Huge boost for this England team - real opportunity for the boys down under."

But that confidence has been countered by the realisation Cummins' likely replacement – Scott Boland – is a quality bowler in his own right, especially on Australian pitches. As one fan reminded the Poms on the Barmy Army's X account: "Don't celebrate, Boland will replace him. The pace may not be the same, but he is as challenging."

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