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The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of taking part.

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.

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

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.

The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Match Calendar

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026