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Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of taking part.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026