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Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.

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

Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.

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

"It's clear that the clock is ticking and various factors at play, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he's going to play a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."

Past Concerns

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.

Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.

Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his comeback strategy to secure his spot for the series.

Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.

Backup Options

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

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an dual-role player," he elaborated.

"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

The Historic Rivalry

From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026