Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
