NEW DELHI: Former cricketer and coach Simon Katich opined that Scott Boland is the most probable replacement for the injured Australian skipper Pat Cummins in the Ashes opener after it was reported that the regular captain will miss the first Test in Perth on November 21 due to lower back stress.

Cummins is set to miss the Ashes opener in Perth, with the possibility that he may also miss the entire Test series against England, as scans have revealed that his back stress problem has not yet healed.

“Look, Scott Boland, I think, is the first man in if Cummins doesn’t play. I think there’s no doubt about that, but it’ll give it a great opportunity to some of these other young quicks around the country, ” Katich said on SEN Afternoons.

Behind Boland, Katich is considering Queensland’s Michael Neser, who has often been next in line. At the same time, Victoria’s Fergus O’Neill is also a probable candidate after winning the 2024/25 Sheffield Shield player of the season.