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Australia's chief selector Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old 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 Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

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

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.

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

Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026