Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, not only the back issue, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with recurrences in multiple past seasons leading to absences from multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"Extensive planning has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches regardless. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
