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The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

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

He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.

"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.

He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the initial matches regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026