Australia captain Pat Cummins is expected to sit out the opening ODI against South Africa in Durban on September 24 as the team manages workloads ahead of next month’s Test series. Mitchell Marsh will lead the side at Kingsmead in Cummins’ absence, with the frontline pace attack undergoing rotation.
Cummins arrived in South Africa later than fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc and is being prioritized for the red-ball leg of the tour. The fast bowler previously detailed his expected involvement in the white-ball fixtures, stating, “I’d imagine it’d be one, two, probably a maximum of three games out of those six.”
Australia’s rotation strategy occurs alongside a severe injury crisis in the South African camp. The Proteas have lost five frontline fast bowlers for the ODI series, with Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger, and Kwena Maphaka all ruled out. This depletion leaves the hosts to rely on less experienced options such as Lizaad Williams or the spin of Keshav Maharaj.
The home side will also be without Aiden Markram for the series opener. Markram is set to miss the Durban match due to personal reasons. These absences leave the South African ranks stretched against an Australian top order that remains largely settled for the tour.
The match may provide Nathan Ellis an opportunity to secure his position in the XI. Mitchell Starc recently highlighted the Tasmanian’s progress, saying, “He is really pushing his case as a lock as a pick in the one-day team, and no doubt he’ll look to perform in these three as well.”
South Africa will look toward the experience of Quinton de Kock to anchor their batting. Since reversing his retirement in late 2025, the wicketkeeper-batter recently surpassed 7,000 career runs in ODI cricket and remains a central figure alongside captain Temba Bavuma.
The series is a precursor to Australia’s first Test tour of South Africa since 2018. With World Test Championship points at stake later in the tour, the Australian management is utilizing these limited-overs matches to manage the fitness of senior quicks while maintaining competitive momentum.
The Durban opener begins a three-match series that serves as the final white-ball preparation before the focus moves to the longest format in October.
