🔗 Share this article

Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.

"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."

Injury History

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

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

Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026