Pat Cummins has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"We know that time is getting short and there are permutations involved, not just the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of back injuries, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
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 resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for another day, the choice was made to approach this more conservatively."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
