Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations at play, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that it was unclear 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
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury 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 building out the plan for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the starting games in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
