New Delhi, Feb 3 (NationPress) Australia's premier fast bowler Pat Cummins has disclosed that he was on the verge of making it to the T20 World Cup 2026 roster, but a slight delay in his recovery process ultimately excluded him from the final 15-member team.

Cummins was substituted by Ben Dwarshuis in Australia's lineup for the significant tournament, commencing on February 7, due to a persistent back issue. The right-arm pacer mentioned that he felt physically fit but simply lacked the necessary time to finalize his recovery.

"It was genuinely unfortunate. I'm feeling pretty good, just a slight setback, and I just ran out of time, really. I'll take a few weeks to rest and then assess the situation," Cummins told AAP, as cited by the ICC.

The captain of Australia elaborated that after the Adelaide Test, the medical staff determined that his back required approximately four to eight weeks of recuperation before he could gradually increase his workload.

"After the (Adelaide) Test match, we anticipated needing around four to eight weeks for the bone to settle properly before we could begin building back up. Initially, we thought it might just be four weeks, as I was feeling quite good, but then I had a follow-up scan," he explained.

"They concluded that it likely needed a couple more weeks, so the timeline became a bit too tight," he added.

Cummins is optimistic about returning to competitive play during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in March but emphasized that his primary focus is to be fully fit for a demanding test schedule later in the year.

Australia has a busy calendar ahead, featuring home tests against Bangladesh, an away series in South Africa, and several matches against New Zealand and India before the current World Test Championship cycle concludes.

"We believed that the first half of the year was an opportune moment to be cautious, given the significant amount of cricket coming up. We'll ensure everything is right, which should allow us to play those Test matches without concerns," he clarified.

"If we don't handle it carefully now and it flares up, we could find ourselves in a difficult situation," Cummins remarked.

Despite his absence from the World Cup, Cummins expressed confidence in Australia's performance during the tournament. He noted that the recent T20I series loss to Pakistan does not accurately represent the squad's true potential.

"It wasn't our best series (in Pakistan), but the players are coming off a strong Big Bash season, and a few are returning from injuries for the World Cup," Cummins stated.

"Team morale is high. I've been in touch with some of the guys from afar… they understand the significance of the tournament and are eager to get started," he added.

The defending champions of the 2021 T20 World Cup will compete against Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman, and co-hosts Sri Lanka in their group-stage matches.