Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
