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Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Perth.

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

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Injury History

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.

The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.

The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026