Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the initial matches in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
