🔗 Share this article Australia's captain Expected to Feature a Key Part in Iconic Rivalry The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average. The Australian selection chief George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series. There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him. Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Western Australia. He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of participating. "We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," the selector added. "It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust." Previous Setbacks He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress. Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span. He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the series. Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match. Contingency Plans Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy. All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso. He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned 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," the selector detailed. "He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy." Fixture Details Australia vs England: The Ashes 21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026