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The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.

"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," the selector added.

"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Previous Setbacks

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.

He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Backup Options

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

The Historic Rivalry

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026