Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chief selector George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed 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," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
