Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
