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Australia's chief selector George Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.

"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," he commented.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.

He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."

"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026