Australia's captain Set to Play a Major Role in Ashes Series
Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step 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."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
