The Australian skipper has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might sit out due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and various factors at play, not only his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
The captain missed the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their ODI contests against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
