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The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.

He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the prospects of participating.

"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors at play, not just the back issue, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

He has a history of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.

He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Backup Options

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games in any case. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026