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The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's Ashes series.

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

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.

The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.

"We're aware that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not only his injury, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.

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

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.

Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and stated 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 developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches regardless. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."

Fixture Details

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