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Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Perth.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.

"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.

"It's positive. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Backup Options

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026