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The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.

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

Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Perth.

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

"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, aside from his injury, but additional elements," he commented.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Series Schedule

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From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026