Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not only his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated 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 recover fully for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
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The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
