🔗 Share this article Pat Cummins Set to Play a Significant Contribution in the Ashes Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average. Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming England-Australia contest. Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him. Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in the WACA. Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part. "It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added. "The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess." Previous Setbacks The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress. There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span. The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series. Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match. Backup Options If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy. Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso. Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs." "Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed. "He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to take a cautious route." Fixture Details The Historic Rivalry 21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026