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The Australian chief selector the selector has stated that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in the WACA.

He revealed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.

"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from the back issue, but additional elements," he commented.

"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.

He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.

Backup Options

In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, even if it just sets him back for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

Australia vs England: The Ashes

Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026