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The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of participating.

"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."

Injury History

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from 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 contest.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

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

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026