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Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.

There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.

Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.

Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the prospects of being involved.

"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.

"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."

Past Concerns

He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.

There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of several home seasons in a short span.

He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.

The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the opener.

Alternative Arrangements

If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.

All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."

"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.

"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we opted to take a cautious route."

Fixture Details

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