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Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.

He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.

"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.

He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

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

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."

Fixture Details

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026