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The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.

He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."

Injury History

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026