Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
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 discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
