Australia's captain Set to Play a Significant Contribution in Iconic Rivalry

The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026