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The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.

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

Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of taking part.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.

"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.

The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

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

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026