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Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.

There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.

Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.

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

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026