Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
