“Whatever it takes to play” - Pat Cummins opens up on his Ashes return

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has revealed that he would do whatever it takes to play the much-awaited Ashes series later this year, as he is currently battling from back injury, which he picked up during the WTC Final against South Africa.

Notably, Cummins will miss the forthcoming white-ball tour to New Zealand, and moreover, he will also miss the white-ball series against India. Also, he is set to be ruled out of the Sheffield Shield matches in the lead-up to the Ashes. However, he is hopeful of playing the Ashes opener in Perth, which is set to start on November 21.

"I'm never going to go into a Test match unless you think you can finish the Test match. But when you're 18 or 19, you're like, 'Let's make sure this is the perfect rehab, whether it takes an extra six months'. Whereas, I'm happy to be a bit like, 'Well, it's an Ashes series, whatever it takes to play it',” Cummins told cricket.com.au on Wednesday.

"Then, say, at the end, if you're still not 100 per cent and you need to then have a bit of a break next year... there's not another Ashes series," he added.

For the unversed, the medical scans have revealed a lower-back issue that has continued to trouble Cummins even weeks after the Test series against the West Indies. The Test captain also said the experts will "reassess" him in a month. 

"I think you're willing to take a few risks and be a little bit aggressive to try and play as much Tests as you can. At this stage of my career, I feel like I can probably get up to speed a bit quicker than when I was 18 or 19,” he stated.

"Back then you probably feel like you need to play a few Shield games or one-dayers. I'm pretty confident even if I don't get a chance to play a Shield game, I can get up to speed pretty quickly,” he concluded.

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