Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
