The Australian skipper has taken 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an average of 22.10.
Australia's selection chief the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on 21 November in the WACA.
He revealed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from his injury, but further aspects," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll adjust."
Past Concerns
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against New Zealand and India in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in a limited period.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to regain fitness for the opener.
Contingency Plans
Should Cummins not be fit, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
All-rounder Cameron Green was recently pulled out from the national team for their limited-overs matches against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of an abdominal issue.
Bailey described it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to be available for the initial game as an dual-role player," the selector detailed.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the starting games regardless. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, should it hinder progress for a short period, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
