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Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.

He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.

He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to 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 approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026