Pat Cummins has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an average of 22.10.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in the forthcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding his involvement, with the Test matches set to start on 21 November in Perth.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that time is getting short and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he will feature a significant role. With luck from the opening match. If not, we'll adjust."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 leading to absences from three Australian summers in a short span.
Cummins stated he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and stated that Green will play in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," the selector detailed.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs in any case. His aggressive style the bat in limited-overs, should it hinder progress for a short period, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026