Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on November 21 in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
