Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that was still troubling him.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of participating.
"We know that the window is narrowing and multiple considerations at play, not just his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. We firmly believe that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully it's the first Test. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand recently after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
Previous incidents include of spinal problems, 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 make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to be fit for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and confirmed that Green will play in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games in any case. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
