🔗 Share this article Australia's captain Set to Play a Major Role in the Ashes The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average. Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest. There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved. Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA. The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part. "We're aware that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added. "It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust." Injury History He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress. There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period. He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series. Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test. Contingency Plans If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy. The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso. He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling." "We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed. "Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route." Fixture Details The Ashes: Australia v England 21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026