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The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.

He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.

"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not only his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.

He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Backup Options

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026