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The Australian chief selector Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming historic rivalry.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

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

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot 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 "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

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

The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026