Pat Cummins has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has confirmed that pace spearhead Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Initial reports from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on November 21 in Western Australia.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of taking part.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, not just the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
He was sidelined the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
He has a history of spinal problems, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
The selector indicated that he did not know if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their one-day international series against India as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to resume bowling."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
