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Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.

"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

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

There is a track record of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026