🔗 Share this article The fast bowler Poised for a Major Role in Iconic Rivalry Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average. Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest. There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed. Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia. Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part. "We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked. "The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust." Previous Setbacks Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue. Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span. He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series. Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test. Alternative Arrangements If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy. Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso. The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling." "We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed. "Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route." Fixture Details The Ashes: Australia v England Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026