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The Australian selection chief Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.

He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.

"We know that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," he commented.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, 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 take part for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026