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Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of participating.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.

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

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026