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The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.

"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026