Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
