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The Australian chair of selectors the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.

"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not just the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Injury History

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026