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Australia's selection chief Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in Western Australia.

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.

"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.

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

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.

Contingency Plans

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

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026