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Australia's chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026