Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
