Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, 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 participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
