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Saturday, October 17, 2026
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Australia's captain Set to Play a Significant Contribution in the Ashes

Pat Cummins bowling

The pace bowler has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.

Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Previous Setbacks

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

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 ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to take a cautious route."

Fixture Details

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About the author

James Brown

Eva de Vries is een gepassioneerde schrijver en levenscoach, gespecialiseerd in welzijn en duurzaamheid.

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