Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chair of selectors the selector has confirmed that captain Pat Cummins will play a "major part" in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might miss the series due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Earlier indications from the Australian camp suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations involved, not only the physical problem, but additional elements," he commented.
"It's positive. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a key capacity. With luck from the opening match. Should that not happen, we'll reassess."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand in the previous weeks after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons causing him to miss several home seasons in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his recovery plan to ensure his availability for the Ashes.
The selector indicated that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but conceded it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, ex-skipper Smith will assume leadership.
Versatile player Green was excluded lately from the national team for their limited-overs matches against India as a precautionary measure because of soreness in his side.
Bailey described it as a "minor" injury and mentioned that he'll feature in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into developing the strategy for him to participate for the opening match as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for a short period, we opted to approach this more conservatively."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
