🔗 Share this article

The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.

"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," he commented.

"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026