🔗 Share this article

The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026