đź”— Share this article The fast bowler Set to Play a Major Role in Ashes Series The pace bowler has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an impressive average. Australia's selection chief the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest. There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed. Earlier indications from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Western Australia. Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about his chances of participating. "It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked. "The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust." Previous Setbacks Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress. He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span. He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes. He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener. Contingency Plans Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership. All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue. The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs." "Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained. "His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively." Match Calendar The Ashes: Australia v England Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026