🔗 Share this article

The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.

"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026