Pat Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 appearances with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian selection chief the selector has declared that pace spearhead Cummins will play a "major part" in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that Cummins might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no official announcement had been made regarding whether he would play, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and remained hopeful about the likelihood of participating.
"We know that the clock is ticking and multiple considerations at play, not only his injury, but additional elements," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a significant role. Ideally starting in Perth. Otherwise, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
The captain missed Australia's limited-overs series against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
He has a history of spinal problems, with recurrences in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss three Australian summers in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be proactive in his approach in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that he did not know if Cummins had begun bowling as part of his rehabilitation but conceded it was "getting tight" for him to be fit for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will assume leadership.
The talented all-rounder was recently pulled out from the ODI lineup for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and stated that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "in a good place to deliver overs."
"Considerable effort has gone into creating the schedule for him to take part for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the starting games regardless. How he handles the bat in limited-overs, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Series Schedule
The Ashes: Australia v England
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
