Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
