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The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Perth.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Previous Setbacks

He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.

He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Backup Options

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026