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The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.

There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.

He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" 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," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the Ashes.

He mentioned that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.

Backup Options

In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.

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

The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature 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 opening match as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."

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The Historic Rivalry

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026