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The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in Perth.

He revealed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the prospects of participating.

"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Injury History

The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in a limited period.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026