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The Australian selection chief George Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.

Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on November 21 in the WACA.

The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of participating.

"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.

"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."

Injury History

Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.

Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.

Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.

Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the first Test.

Contingency Plans

In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will lead the side.

The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.

He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."

"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.

"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 opted to take a cautious route."

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