🔗 Share this article The fast bowler Poised for a Significant Contribution in Iconic Rivalry The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average. Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry. Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed. Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia. The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating. "We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added. "The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess." Previous Setbacks He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress. Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years. He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes. Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener. Alternative Arrangements In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy. Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue. He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl." "Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," the selector detailed. "His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route." Fixture Details The Ashes: Australia v England Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026