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The Australian selection chief the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.

"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, not only his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.

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

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Match Calendar

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026