Australia's captain Set to Play a Major Role in the Ashes
The pace bowler has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
