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Australia's selection chief George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.

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

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of back injuries, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.

He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper 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.

The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026