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Australia's selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.

Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Perth.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.

"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, aside from his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."

Past Concerns

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

There is a track record of recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the contest.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."

Series Schedule

Australia vs England: The Ashes

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026