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The Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.

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

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

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

"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Previous Setbacks

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the Ashes.

The selector indicated that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."

"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026