Pat Cummins has secured over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no official announcement had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the likelihood of being involved.
"We know that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not just his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. With luck it's the first Test. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 forcing him out of three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that there was no confirmation if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but admitted it was "pressing" for him to regain fitness for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
In case of absence, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. The way he swings the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we just made the decision to adopt a safer strategy."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026