Cummins hopeful of a high five for Ashes

INJURED SKIPPER EYES UP RETURN

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PAT CUMMINS has not yet ruled out playing all five Ashes Tests this winter - despite concerns over his back injury.

Cummins is recovering from a ‘lumbar stress’ problem and head coach Andrew McDonald surprised many observers over his skipper’s likely availability against England when he suggested the influential seamer would only play a “significant” role in the series, rather than a full one.

But Cummins is taking an optimistic view. “The starting aim is five. Every summer, you kind of aim for five,” Cummins said. “Once we get closer, we're probably going to chat through potentially more realistic situations.