The Australian skipper has claimed 309 wickets in 71 five-day games with an stellar bowling average.
The Australian chief selector the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Speculation had been growing that Cummins might sit out due to a ongoing back issue that remained unresolved.
Previous updates from team management suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series scheduled to begin on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that his recovery is on track and remained hopeful about the prospects of taking part.
"It's clear that time is getting short and multiple considerations around that, aside from the physical problem, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he's going to play a major part. Hopefully from the opening match. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out Australia's limited-overs series against New Zealand and India recently after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
Previous incidents include of back injuries, with flare-ups in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2015-16 causing him to miss multiple domestic campaigns in a short span.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his rehabilitation process to secure his spot for the Ashes.
He mentioned that it was unclear if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but admitted it was "becoming urgent" for him to recover fully for the first Test.
Backup Options
Should Cummins not be fit, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against India as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
The selector characterized it as a "slight concern and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "ideally positioned to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the initial game as an batting and bowling option," he elaborated.
"Originally, he'd only feature in the initial matches in any case. How he handles the cricket bat in white-ball cricket, if it causes any delay for another day, we opted to take a cautious route."
Fixture Details
Australia vs England: The Ashes
From November 21, 2025 to January 7, 2026
