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The Australian chief selector George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.

He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.

"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Injury History

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026