Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about his chances of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play 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 participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
