Concerning scenes unfolded outside The Gabba on the eve of the second Ashes Test as members of the media and staff were evacuated after a fire alarm was set off. 

Fire crews attended the Queensland stadium on Wednesday, as journalists and TV crews were seen spilling out of the building onto Vulture Street.

Stadiums Queensland confirmed to this masthead that the evacuation was caused after a smoke detector at an outdoor kitchen was activated.

Both England and Australia trained in the nets at The Gabba earlier in the day.

Pat Cummins, who is still in the frame for an 11th-hour call-up despite missing the first Test in Perth due to a back injury, was also seen walking onto the outfield with Steve Smith and Australia coach Andrew McDonald to inspect the pitch.

Staff and members of the media were soon allowed back into the building after fire crews had completed their investigations.

'The Gabba was briefly evacuated this afternoon after a smoke detector outside a kitchen was activated,' a Stadiums Queensland spokesperson said.

'QFES attended per normal protocols. The activated location was inspected by QFES and the venue was cleared to return to normal operation.'

Australia will wait until the toss on Thursday, which is due to take place at 1.30pm local time (3.30am London Time), to name their final team. 

Cummins has been seen bowling at full tilt in the nets and while he wasn't named in Australia's 14-man squad last week, there was some optimism around the Australia camp that he could come back into the fold for the match. 

'He's looked pretty good to me, the way he's bowled in the nets,' captain Steve Smith said on Wednesday. 

'Obviously, games are a different intensity. But he's tracking really nicely; he knows his body well. 

'We'll wait and see but like I said, he's close.'

Smith confirmed that the side would wait to inspect the wicket before making a call on their starting XI. Should Cummins be fit, Australia face a conundrum of dropping veteran spinner Nathan Lyon and deploying a five-pronged pace attack or switching the captain in for Brendan Doggett, who took five wickets in Perth. 

'Pat's awesome,' Ben Stokes said on the Aussie skipper. 'He has been for a very, very long time. He's done great things not only as a player, but he's been great since he's been given the responsibility of being captain for Australia.'

For the tourists, this is a must-win match if they hope to wrestle the series back from Australia. 

'Whatever XI they go with - if Pat's there, if Pat's not - we'll still be going in there to try and get the win too,' Stokes said. 

England's record at The Gabba makes gloomy reading, with the tourists having last won at the 42,000-capacity Brisbane venue in 1986. Overall, they have lost 13 of the 22 Ashes Tests at The Gabba.  

While Stokes believes his side will stick to their game plan, the addition of all-rounder Will Jacks in place of Mark Wood gives the tourists another string to their bow. 

'Coming here, knowing the first two games were going to be in Perth and the day-night game here at the Gabba, you try and leave yourself as much time as you can to think about different angles,' Stokes said to the Australian Associated Press.

'We tried to look at how we thought spin was going to be used. There was a bit of a tactical element to it. And obviously Jacksy's ability with the bat, to have that down the order for us is useful as well.'