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Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.

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

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026