The Australian skipper has claimed over 300 dismissals in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the upcoming Ashes series.
Speculation had been growing that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the likelihood of participating.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, aside from his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he'll participate in a major part. Hopefully starting in Perth. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India last month after examinations confirmed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
He emphasized he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the series.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, veteran batsman Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was recently pulled out from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a safety move because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "slight concern and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"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," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the starting games regardless. The way he swings the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for another day, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Series Schedule
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
