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The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.

There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lower back issue.

He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026