Cummins out of IPL with back injury

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League with a back issue, Cricket Australia has confirmed. 

Cummins had been bought by the Mumbai Indians for $A1.05 million, but missed the opening match of the tournament, a narrow defeat to the Chennai Super Kings.

The 24-year-old has "bone oedema in his vertebrae" – in other words, swelling in the joint, which is not the more serious stress fracture. 

CA's Bupa Support Team Physiotherapist, David Beakley said: "Pat experienced some back soreness during the fourth Test in South Africa. Follow-up scans have confirmed that he has bone oedema in his vertebrae.

"It is important that Pat has time off bowling, to prevent the injury becoming more serious and consequently we have made the decision to rule Pat out of the IPL.

"Pat will now undergo a period of recovery and rehabilitation and we will look to re-scan him in a few weeks to assess the healing.

"Following this we will be in a better position to decide on Pat's return to play timeline including participation in the limited overs tour of the UK."

The 24-year-old has played 13 consecutive Tests for Australia since being parachuted into the team on the India tour a year ago. He has bowled 447.5 overs across all formats since the start of the last Australian summer.

Cummins had a long history of back issues following his debut in the Australian Test team as an 18-year-old, but had proved one of Australia's most reliable and consistent bowlers since returning to the national side.

He played a key role in Australia's 4-0 Ashes series win and produced several key spells on the ill-fated South Africa tour, that saw him leap into the top ten of the ICC Test bowler rankings for the first time.

Cummins rose 12 places to equal sixth on the ICC charts after capturing 22 wickets at an average of 21 across the four Tests in South Africa, including nine in Johannesburg, his first visit back to the Bullring since his debut in 2011.

The latest issue places him in doubt for Australia's next international series, a five-match ODI series and one-off T20 against England in June, with a T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe also featuring Pakistan set to follow. His participation in that tour will become clearer following re-scans scheduled for later this month. A squad for the series against England has yet to be named.

Australia's next Test engagement is expected in October against Pakistan in the UAE before visits by South Africa, India and Sri Lanka next summer.

Cummins joins Mitchell Starc in being ruled out of the IPL, with the left-arm spearhead suffering from a leg injury that kept him out of the Johannesburg Test match.

Mitchell Marsh is recovering following successful ankle surgery, and has been ruled out of a stint in UK county cricket with London side Surrey. He is targeting a return for the start of the Australian summer.