The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and felt positive about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors at play, aside from the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he'll feature in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Historic Rivalry
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
