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Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in the WACA.

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.

"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."

Injury History

The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026