Australia's captain Set to Play a Significant Contribution in the Ashes

The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in the WACA.

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.

"We know that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026