Pat Cummins has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has stated that skipper Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's historic rivalry.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series set to start on 21 November in the WACA.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about the prospects of being involved.
"It's clear that the window is narrowing and there are permutations involved, not only the back issue, but other factors as well," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. Ideally it's the first Test. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of back injuries, 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 rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear 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 participate for the first Test as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
