Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared 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.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
