Pat Cummins has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 five-day games with an impressive average.
Australia's chief selector Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that the 32-year-old might be unavailable due to a persistent back stress problem that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no definitive call had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the Test matches kicking off on November 21 in Perth.
He revealed that the captain is progressing and was "optimistic" about his chances of participating.
"We know that time is getting short and various factors around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a key capacity. Hopefully from the opening match. Otherwise, we'll reassess."
Past Concerns
The captain missed the white-ball matches against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals recently after scans revealed a lower back issue.
There is a track record of recurring issues, with setbacks in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to ensure his availability for the contest.
He mentioned that he did not know if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to regain fitness for the first Test.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was excluded lately from the ODI lineup for their ODI contests against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and stated that he's scheduled to appear in the domestic first-class competition, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the opening match as an batting and bowling option," Bailey explained.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs anyway. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, the choice was made to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
The Ashes: Australia v England
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
