Australia's captain Set to Play a Significant Contribution in Ashes Series

Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.

He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.

"We know that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.

"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.

He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.

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

He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026