Australia's captain Poised for a Major Role in the Ashes
Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
