Just a day after hinting that IPL 2027 could be the sacrifice required to protect his body ahead of a packed international calendar, Pat Cummins has revealed a more ambitious goal. Australia’s Test and ODI captain now hopes to feature in every Test match over what could be the busiest 12-month period in the country’s cricket history.
Cummins had earlier admitted that “something has got to give” in 2027 and made it clear that neither Test cricket nor the ODI World Cup would be compromised. That naturally placed his IPL future under scrutiny, with the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper even suggesting he could sit out the entire IPL 2027 season.
However, after returning successfully from a back injury during IPL 2026, Cummins is feeling optimistic again. Australia are set to play as many as 21 Tests between August 2026 and August 2027, alongside white-ball commitments and a potential World Test Championship final. It is an unprecedented workload for one of the world’s premier fast bowlers.
Cummins confident after injury return
The Australian captain spent the first half of IPL 2026 on the sidelines due to a lumbar stress injury before returning to play eight matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The signs since then have been encouraging.
“Body feels awesome,” Cummins said while speaking at a Prime Video event for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. “I got a scan, all sweet, so now it’s the next step up, which is getting ready to bowl 20 overs in a day and wake up and do it again in a Test match.”
Cummins will spend June and July gradually building up his bowling workload before Australia begin a hectic schedule that starts with a two-Test series against Bangladesh in August.
The following 12 months could include home Tests against New Zealand, a four-Test tour of India, the 150th anniversary Test against England at the MCG, a full Ashes series in England, a return trip to South Africa and potentially the World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
“The lucky thing is I haven’t played much in the last year or so, so I’m actually coming in physically as good as I possibly could be,” Cummins said. “I’m kind of hoping that I play all of them, but I’m sure things will pop up along the way.”
Big three unlikely to survive entire schedule
While Cummins is backing himself to get through the demanding calendar, he admitted it would be difficult for Australia’s famed pace trio of himself, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to play every Test.
“It’d be very surprising if the same three bowlers played in 21 of the Tests. There might be a little bit of chopping and changing. It’s kind of unprecedented,” he said.
That admission is significant given Australia’s reliance on the trio over the past decade. Injuries already disrupted the group during the recent Ashes campaign, forcing Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson and Brendan Doggett into action.
Cummins also reiterated that white-ball cricket may have to take a back seat moving forward. “It’s prioritising the Test matches and then outside of that, there won’t be too much,” he said.
Australia’s busy international schedule
| Month | Series/Tournament | Matches | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | Australia Tour of Bangladesh 2026 | 3 ODI, 3 T20I | Bangladesh |
| Jul–Aug 2026 | Afghanistan Tour of Australia 2026 | 1 Test, 3 T20I | Australia |
| August 2026 | Bangladesh Tour of Australia 2026 | 2 Tests | Australia |
| September 2026 | Australia Tour of Zimbabwe 2026 | 3 ODI | Zimbabwe |
| Sep–Oct 2026 | Australia Tour of South Africa 2026 | 3 Tests, 3 ODI | South Africa |
| Nov–Dec 2026 | England Tour of Australia 2026 | 3 ODI, 5 T20I | Australia |
| Dec 2026–Jan 2027 | New Zealand Tour of Australia 2026-27 | 4 Tests | Australia |
| Jan–Mar 2027 | Australia Tour of India 2027 | 5 Tests | India |
Potential additional Tests:
- World Test Championship Final (1 Test)
- 150th Anniversary Test vs England at the MCG (1 Test)
- 16 Tests during the period, before the 2027 Ashes begins later in the year.
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