🔗 Share this article The fast bowler Expected to Feature a Major Role in Iconic Rivalry The pace bowler has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10. Australia's selection chief Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest. Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved. Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA. The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of participating. "It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added. "It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess." Injury History Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue. He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span. Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes. The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener. Contingency Plans If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy. The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side. He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling." "We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated. "Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively." Series Schedule The Historic Rivalry Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026