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Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Perth.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not only his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.

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

Injury History

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

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

"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026