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The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.

"We know that time is getting short and various factors at play, aside from the physical problem, but additional elements," the selector added.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. With luck from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

He has a history of recurring issues, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process 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 be fit for the opener.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026