🔗 Share this article

Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

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

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.

The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026