Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" 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 comeback but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
