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Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, not only his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.

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

He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026