🔗 Share this article

Australia's selection chief Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.

"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."

Injury History

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.

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

Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026