The Australian skipper has secured 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief Bailey has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might miss the series due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and remained hopeful about his chances of taking part.
"It's clear that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not only the back issue, but further aspects," the selector added.
"We're encouraged. There's strong faith that he will feature a significant role. With luck from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in four years.
Cummins stated he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the series.
Bailey noted that there was no confirmation if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the initial match.
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 ODI contests against the Asian giants as a precautionary measure because of an abdominal issue.
He labeled it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature 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 take part for the opening match as an all-rounder," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. His aggressive style the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
