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The Australian chair of selectors George Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.

Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.

Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.

Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.

"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Ideally from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."

Previous Setbacks

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.

He has a history of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

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

He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.

Backup Options

In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.

All-rounder Cameron Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.

Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.

"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."

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