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Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not only the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Injury History

The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

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

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026