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Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of being involved.

"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026