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The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's Ashes series.

There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.

Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the extended contest kicking off on the 21st of November in the WACA.

He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.

"It's clear that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, not only his injury, but further aspects," he commented.

"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a key capacity. With luck starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.

The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.

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

Contingency Plans

If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."

"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.

"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."

Fixture Details

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