Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
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.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
