Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable 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 five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
