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Australia's selection chief George Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.

Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.

Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.

The selector shared that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.

"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not only his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Injury History

He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.

The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Alternative Arrangements

Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026