Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series set to start on the 21st of November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about his chances of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors around that, not just his injury, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he will feature a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in several earlier campaigns causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the series.
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.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
