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The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.

Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

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

The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.

"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of back injuries, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of several home seasons in four years.

The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.

The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.

Backup Options

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."

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

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Match Calendar

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026