The Australian skipper has taken over 300 dismissals in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in the forthcoming England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might miss the series due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Earlier indications from the squad suggested no definitive call had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches set to start on November 21 in Perth.
The selector shared that Cummins is "building up" and felt positive about the prospects of participating.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. We firmly believe that he's going to play a key capacity. Hopefully starting in Perth. If not, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
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 recurring issues, with recurrences in several earlier campaigns forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his recovery plan to make the squad for the Ashes.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his comeback but acknowledged it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will take over the captaincy.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into creating the schedule for him to be available for the opening match as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we just made the decision to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
