Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to ensure his availability for the series.
He mentioned that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from Australia's squad for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the initial matches anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
