Pat Cummins has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
