🔗 Share this article The fast bowler Poised for a Major Role in the Ashes The pace bowler has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average. The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest. There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him. Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in Perth. Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved. "We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked. "We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust." Injury History Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back. Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span. He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy 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 comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test. Contingency Plans If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side. Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side. He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling." "Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," he elaborated. "He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy." Series Schedule Australia vs England: The Ashes From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026