Cricket Australia (CA) has issued an important medical update on senior opener Usman Khawaja, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins ahead of the second Test of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 against England at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Confidence should have been building after winning the Ashes opener against England by eight wickets inside two days in Perth, but Australian head coach Andrew McDonald and the selectors have found themselves in a waiting game pending medical checks.
Hamstring setback keeps Josh Hazlewood out as Australia grapple with triple injury scare
After missing the Perth Test, Josh Hazlewood will also not play in the upcoming day-night Test at the Gabba as he is nursing a hamstring problem that he picked up during the Sheffield Shield. Although the first scan did not show anything serious, the discomfort is still there.
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McDonald reported that Hazlewood is still in the early stages of his rehabilitation. He will join the Australian squad in Brisbane to continue working with physios, and the head coach is hopeful Hazlewood can return for the 2025-26 Ashes series later in the season.
“He’s working through the first week of his rehabilitation. I’m not sure we need to give any updates on that. Once he gets back on the track and we have some tighter deadlines, we’ll be in a position to tell him,” Andrew McDonald told reporters as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.
I know he will be available at some point during the series. We’ve got a little bit of that initial rehab to decide where he might fit into the series, but we expect him to play some part in the series.
Pat Cummins almost ready, but Australia brace for last-minute call at Gabba
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins is inching closer to his return and McDonald said his impressive bowling session in Perth had added to the excitement. But the two-day finale in Perth led to a change in plans as the Australian captain was scheduled to bowl on the fourth day of the first Test, but that session had to be delayed due to everyone going home early.
Therefore, McDonald is keeping all options open as he said that the team will get a clear picture of his comeback when they meet him again. However, the Australian coach noted that Cummins looked strong, his speed was back, and his energy was high, so he appeared almost ready to return to full action. But Australia will not take the risk.
With the second Test being a day-night match and another long break before the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, the final decision could only come on the eve of the second Test in Brisbane. “Once we see him again, we’ll be able to connect the dots as to what he potentially looks like,” McDonald said.
He added, “There are a lot of positives, but now it’s really just building flexibility within the soft tissues and making sure we’re not causing harm to him in terms of pushing it too fast.”
“But it will be a real discussion before this Test match. It may be too late for us. There’s a bit of work to do on it, but it’s close to completion, which is really positive.”
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Usman Khawaja had to undergo immediate medical examination due to sudden back spasm.
On the other hand, Usman Khawaja’s sudden back spasm has become the biggest cause of concern in the Australian camp during the ongoing Ashes 2025-26. He managed to bat only once and dropped a catch at slip before leaving the field in discomfort.
Well, McDonald revealed that the medical staff are considering additional testing, as Khawaja has never suffered from this type of back problem throughout his career. There are still six days left in the team’s camp and they are hopeful that Khawaja will be ready for selection.
The Australian head coach explained that back spasms usually point to something down the line, especially since Khawaja has never experienced it before, which is why they wanted further investigation.
The coach said, “We’ve got to go to camp in six days’ time. It’s a long way, there’s a lot of information to be gathered between now and then, and hopefully Usman is fit and available for selection. I think whenever you get spasms, it’s a result of something going on in your back.”
McDonald signed off by saying, “So, I think further investigation is the due diligence around this. You’re convulsing for some reason. He didn’t have it before, so will probably need a little more investigation. My gut feeling is that it should be OK, but like I said, we’ll wait for that information to be presented.”
