&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ashes 2025-26: George Bailey confirms Australia's Plan B for captaincy role, says 'if Pat doesn't play...'")
Australia’s chief selector for the men’s team, George Bailey, has revealed his team’s plans for the upcoming Ashes as they prepare to defend the holy grail yet again. Playing in their own backyard, Australia will have to cope without captain Pat Cummins at least for the start of the Ashes. He has been sidelined with a back injury and is already out of contention for the India white-ball series and faces a race against time to be fit for the Ashes. However, in case Cummins is not fit, Australia will be led by former captain Steve Smith, as confirmed by Bailey.
Bailey confirms plan for Cummins back-up
"If Pat doesn't play, Smudge [Smith] will captain. That's business as usual for us. That formula has worked," Bailey told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Regardless of whether he's playing, Pat's keen to be around because if he's not playing he'll be rehabbing and getting ready and bowling, so he'll be with the team anyway. That information flow and working together as captain and vice-captain will remain the same," he said.
Smith’s availability as skipper will come as a huge boost for Australia, who have an impressive record while leading. In 40 Test matches as captain, he has scored 4139 runs, including 17 hundreds, the most by any Aussie captain. Under his captaincy, Australia have won 23 Test matches and lost only 10, while the rest have ended in draws.
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Australia will walk into the Ashes as heavy favourites as they look to retain the holy grail. They drew 2-2 on English soil in the last Ashes and have not lost the coveted series since 2015. In fact, Australia’s last Ashes defeat on home soil came in 2010-11 under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy. The Aussies had an impressive Ashes on home soil last time out, pocking it 4-0, narrowly missing out on a whitewash after the Sydney Test ended in a draw.
