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The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.

"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.

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

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the contest.

He mentioned that there was no confirmation 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 initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."

"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026