Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an average of 22.10.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has declared that skipper Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
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 squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations involved, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and mentioned that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games anyway. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
