Pat Cummins Set to Play a Major Role in the Ashes
The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
