Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
