Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
