Australia was dealt a massive blow to its hopes of retaining the Ashes in the upcoming home Test series against England with the injury to skipper Pat Cummins. The 32-year-old is dealing with a stress injury to his back, and the recovery may take longer than expected. The latest reports suggest that Cummins is almost certain to miss the 2025-26 Ashes opener in Perth, which begins on November 21. There is also a possibility that the Australian captain could miss most, if not all, of the series, with Steve Smith taking over the leadership role. Cummins missed the recently concluded T20I series in New Zealand and will also miss the upcoming home white-ball series against India. The ace pacer has been arguably Australia's most valuable Test cricketer, with 309 wickets at an average of 22.10. Cummins has also led the side admirably, with Australia qualifying for the last two World Test Championship (WTC) finals and winning one (2023). Yet, Australian cricket has never been short of talent when it comes to the fast-bowling department. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Scott Boland are almost certainties in the Ashes squad among seamers. Outside the trio, several others have put their hand up in recent domestic red-ball matches. On that note, let us look at the three best fast-bowling options who could replace Pat Cummins for the 2025-26 Ashes should the Australian captain be ruled out.#1 Michael NeserMichael Neser is no stranger to a home Ashes Test [Credit: Getty]South African-born Michael Neser is no stranger to a home Ashes series, having debuted for Australia in Tests in the 2021 home Ashes. Yet, the 35-year-old has played only two red-ball games for Australia despite being on the fringes seemingly forever. Neser has been in tremendous form in domestic red-ball cricket, picking up six wickets in Queensland's 2025-26 Sheffield Shield opener against Tasmania a few days back. The veteran pacer also enjoyed incredible success in the 2024-25 edition, finishing with 31 wickets in seven matches at an average of 20.90, including two 5-wicket hauls. Neser wrecked India A's top-order with the wickets of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Devdutt Padikkal in a memorable spell of 4/27 for Australia A at the end of last year.Furthermore, Neser's ability with the bat makes him the ideal replacement for Cummins, who performed a similar role at No. 8. The 35-year-old boasts an outstanding first-class record with 405 wickets in 114 matches at an average of 23.74, while also averaging 28.54 with the willow.#2 Henry ThorntonHenry Thornton has been letting it rip in the domestic circuit [Credit: Getty]South Australia's Henry Thornton has been knocking on the doors of national selection with his bowling exploits over the past year. The 28-year-old impressed with his right-arm fast-bowling in Australia A's recent away red-ball series against India A. After missing the first game of the series, Thornton picked up four wickets in the first innings of the second unofficial Test, finishing with incredible figures of 4/36 in 10 overs. The speedster also bowled consistently in the red-ball home series against Sri Lanka A in July. Thornton also enjoyed tremendous success in the 2024/25 Sheffield Shield season, finishing with 17 wickets in four games at an average of 23.33. Like Neser, Thornton also offers plenty with the bat, averaging over 20 in first-class cricket, making him an ideal option to replace skipper Cummins.#3 Brendan DoggettQueensland has been blessed with a factory full of pacers over the years, and 31-year-old Brendan Doggett is among the latest to shine with the red ball. The right-armer boasts an excellent first-class record with 177 wickets at an average of 27.32 in 14 matches. Yet, his recent form with the red ball should have him in contention as a viable option to replace Pat Cummins. Doggett peaked in the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield season, picking up 33 wickets in seven games at an average of 24.15 with an extraordinary four 5-wicket hauls. The speedster also impressed in Australia A's only red-ball outing against England Lions at home at the start of the 2025 season, with match figures of 4/50. Doggett was at his relentless best in the first unofficial Australia A-India A Test at the end of last year, with an incredible 6/16 first innings showing. The ability to produce game-turning spells makes Doggett an enticing option for Australia to replace Pat Cummins with.