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Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.

Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.

"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not only his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."

"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026