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Australia's selection chief the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.

"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.

He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

Match Calendar

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026