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Australia's chair of selectors the selector has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest kicking off on November 21 in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.

"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.

"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

He has a history of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.

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

He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026