Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the Adelaide Test after being confirmed as a close contact to a positive COVID case.
Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed the skipper will miss the match despite 11th hour attempts to accelerate his test.
Cummins attended a restaurant in Adelaide on Wednesday evening with another professional cricketer, while a person who has been identified as Covid-19 positive was sitting at the next table.
“Cummins is understandably very disappointed not to be able to captain Australia for the day-night Test in Adelaide,” the statement from CA read.
Cummins has had a PCR test which produced a negative result but has been deemed a close contact by SA Health and is required to isolate for seven days.
CA said in a statement it anticipates Cummins will be available to play in the third Test in Melbourne.
Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon were also dining at the same restaurant as Cummins but at a seperate table outdoors.
They have been deemed casual contacts and are free to play.
Cummins tweeted he was “gutted” to be missing the match and threw his support behind Michael Neser.
Gutted to miss this Test but really excited to see Neser finally get his chance in the baggy green. He has done the hard yards and is a seriously skilful player. Super frustrating but COVID has thrown us all some curve balls over the last couple of years. Will be cheering along!
— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) December 16, 2021
Neser has been told he will come in to debut, while Steve Smith will be captain for the first time since Cape Town.
Travis Head has been appointed vice-captain in Cummins’ absence.
Australian captain Pat Cummins has been deemed a close contact of a person who received a positive Covid-19 test last night and is unavailable to play in the second Vodafone #Ashes Test.
We anticipate that he will be available to play in the third Test at the MCG in Melbourne. pic.twitter.com/o6JxIdL9pn
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) December 16, 2021
