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Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.

He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026