🔗 Share this article Pat Cummins Set to Play a Major Role in Ashes Series The pace bowler has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10. Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest. There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him. Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA. He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating. "We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not only the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked. "We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess." Previous Setbacks Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back. There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years. The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest. Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener. Contingency Plans If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy. All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso. Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling." "We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained. "His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route." Series Schedule The Ashes: Australia v England From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026