The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on the 21st of November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that time is getting short and there are permutations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
He has a history of back injuries, with flare-ups in several earlier campaigns leading to absences from several home seasons in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for another day, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
