🔗 Share this article

Australia's selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of participating.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

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

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

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Backup Options

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, 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," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026