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Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Perth.

He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.

"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," he commented.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.

Backup Options

In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026