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The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.

"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs 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 take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026