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The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.

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

The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.

Backup Options

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

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The Historic Rivalry

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026