Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors involved, not only his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
