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Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.

Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.

Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.

"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors at play, not just the back issue, but additional elements," the selector added.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Backup Options

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026