🔗 Share this article

Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.

The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, 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