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Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.

There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Perth.

Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of taking part.

"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

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

He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

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

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

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

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to take a cautious route."

Fixture Details

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026