Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
