Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
