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Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's Ashes series.

There were concerns that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

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

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.

"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors involved, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.

The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026