Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
