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The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, 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 first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026