ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) – An injury to Pat Cummins has forced Australia to recall Scott Boland for the pace attack and return the captaincy to Steve Smith for the second Test against the West Indies in Adelaide.
Cricket Australia issued a statement on Wednesday saying Cummins had not had enough time to recover from an upper leg injury sustained in the 164-run win in Perth last week, but would be ready for Australia’s first Test against South Africa in Brisbane next. He was expected to be fit. Week.
Boland will join Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in Australia’s pace attack for the second Test starting in Adelaide on Thursday.
Smith, who scored an unbeaten 200 in the first innings in Perth, said he does not think Cummins is far away from returning to fitness.
“There’s a lot of cricket going on with a big series against South Africa and what’s happening with the Tests in India,” Smith said.
Cummins missed the Adelaide Test against England last year due to the COVID-19 restrictions, with Smith also leading the team on that occasion and returning as captain for the first time since he was forced to leave South Africa in 2018. Ball tampering in Africa was banned after the scandal.
Smith returned to the Test team in 2019 as a specialist batsman after serving a 12-month suspension and has moved back into leadership roles. He has played 88 Test matches, including 35 as captain, and averages 61.62 with the bat.
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