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Australia's selection chief Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming historic rivalry.

Speculation had been growing that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Perth.

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

"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not just the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he will feature a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a limited period.

He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

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

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their ODI contests 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 state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

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

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026