Pat Cummins has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has stated that pace spearhead Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming historic rivalry.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and various factors around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
Cummins stated he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his comeback but admitted it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and confirmed that he'll feature in the state-level matches, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to take part for the initial game as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches in any case. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
