Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations involved, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
