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The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Perth.

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

"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026