The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that his recovery is on track and felt positive about the likelihood of taking part.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a significant role. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against India and New Zealand recently after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the series.
He mentioned that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will lead the side.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games anyway. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
