Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared 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.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings 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."
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The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
