BRISBANE: Australia have named an unchanged squad for the second Ashes Test at Gabba in Brisbane, with captain Pat Cummins and fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood ruled out once again due to injury. Usman Khawaja, who suffered back spasms in the Perth opener, has been retained and is expected to be available for selection.
Leading the series 1-0 after an eight-wicket victory at Perth Stadium, Australia will again be led by stand-in skipper Steve Smith. The pace attack remains in the hands of Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, and Brendan Doggett, with Cummins travelling with the squad despite being unavailable to play.
Cummins has been sidelined by a lumbar stress injury since Australia’s tour of the Caribbean, while Hazlewood continues to recover from the hamstring strain that kept him out of the Perth Test. Although Cummins bowled close to full intensity in a Sydney nets session, team management opted against risking him for the Gabba clash starting December 4.
Hazlewood, meanwhile, bowled off shortened run-ups alongside reserve seamer Sean Abbott, who is also managing a hamstring issue.
