Pat Cummins Poised for a Significant Contribution in Iconic Rivalry
The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's Ashes series.
There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not just the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
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.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026