Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
