Cricket Australia issue medical bulletin on Usman Khawaja, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins

Cricket Australia (CA) has released a crucial medical update on the senior opener Usman Khawaja, pacer Josh Hazlewood, and captain Pat Cummins ahead of the second Test of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 against England at The Gabba in Brisbane.

It should have been a confident buildup after winning the Ashes opener by eight wickets within two days against England in Perth, but the Australian head coach, Andrew McDonald, and selectors have found themselves in a waiting game, awaiting the medical checks.

Hamstring blow keeps Josh Hazlewood out as Australia deals with triple injury scare

After missing the Perth Test, Josh Hazlewood will also miss the upcoming Day-Night Test at The Gabba as he continues to struggle with a hamstring issue that he picked up during the Sheffield Shield. Although the first scan didn’t show anything serious, the discomfort is still there.

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McDonald explained that Hazlewood is still in the early part of his rehab. He will join the Australian team in Brisbane to keep working with the physios, and the head coach remains hopeful that Hazlewood can return later in the ongoing 2025-26 Ashes series.

Andrew McDonald told reporters, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, “He's working through the first week of his rehab. I'm not sure that we need to give an update on that. Once he gets further down the track and we have some rough timelines, then we'll be in a position to communicate that.

I know that he'll be available at some point during the series. We've got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”

Pat Cummins is almost ready, but Australia is set for a last-minute call at The Gabba

Meanwhile, Pat Cummins is inching closer to his comeback, and McDonald said that his impressive bowling sessions in Perth had raised excitement. But the two-day finish in Perth forced changes in the plan, as the Australian captain was supposed to bowl on Day 4 of the first Test, but with everyone travelling home early, that session had to be delayed.

So, McDonald is keeping all options open, as he explained that the team will get a clearer picture of his return once they meet him again. However, the Australian coach mentioned that Cummins looks strong, his pace has returned, and his energy was high, so he appeared almost ready to step back into full action. But Australia won’t take risks.

With the second Test being a day-night match and another long break before the third Ashes Test at Adelaide, the final call may come only on the eve of the second Test in Brisbane. McDonald noted, “Once we see him again, we'll be able to then join the dots as to what that potentially looks like.”

He added, “There's a lot of positives, but now it's just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we're not putting him in harm's way in terms of accelerating it too much."

"But it will be a genuine discussion leading into this Test match. That may be one that eventuates late for us. A little bit to work through, but it's nearing completion, which is really, really positive.”

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Usman Khawaja’s sudden back spasm forces urgent medical checks

On the other hand, Usman Khawaja’s sudden back spasms have caused the biggest concern in the Australian camp amidst the ongoing Ashes 2025-26. He only managed to bat once and dropped a catch at slip before leaving the field in discomfort.

Well, McDonald revealed that the medical staff considers extra investigations, as Khawaja has never faced a back issue like this in his entire career. With the team camp still six days away, they are hoping Khawaja will be ready for selection.

The Australian head coach explained that a back spasm usually points to something underneath, especially since Khawaja has never experienced it before, which is why they want further investigation.

The coach said, “We get to camp in six days' time. It's a long way out, there's a lot of information to gather between now and then, and hopefully Usman is fit and available for selection. I think anytime you spasm, it's a result of something going on in your back.”

McDonald signed off by saying, “So, I think that further investigation is just due diligence around that. You spasm for a reason. He hasn't had it before, so that's what will probably entail a bit more further investigation. My gut feeling is that it should be okay, but as I said, we'll wait for that information to present.”