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Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.

He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.

"We know that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not only the physical problem, but other factors as well," he commented.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. With luck it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a short span.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.

Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Alternative Arrangements

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

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."

Match Calendar

The Ashes: Australia v England

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026