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Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.

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 team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

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

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026