Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
