The Australian skipper has secured 309 wickets in 71 Test matches with an impressive average.
The Australian chair of selectors Bailey has stated that captain Pat Cummins will have a crucial role in this winter's England-Australia contest.
There were concerns that the 32-year-old might sit out due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding whether he would play, with the Test matches scheduled to begin on the 21st of November in Western Australia.
The selector shared that his recovery is on track and was "optimistic" about his chances of taking part.
"We know that the clock is ticking and there are permutations around that, not just his injury, but additional elements," Bailey remarked.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he will feature a significant role. Ideally from the opening match. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Injury History
Cummins was ruled out the white-ball matches against New Zealand and India last month after medical tests showed a lower back issue.
He has a history 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.
The bowler mentioned he would be bold in recovery efforts in his comeback strategy to make the squad for the Ashes.
Bailey noted that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his rehabilitation but acknowledged it was "getting tight" for him to recover fully for the initial match.
Alternative Arrangements
Should Cummins not be fit, veteran batsman Smith will lead the side.
Versatile player Green was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a safety move because of discomfort in his torso.
He labeled it as a "small issue and confirmed that he's scheduled to appear in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "well-prepared to deliver overs."
"Extensive planning has gone into building out the plan for him to be available for the first Test as an all-rounder," he elaborated.
"His involvement was limited to the initial matches anyway. The way he swings the willow in shorter formats, even if it just sets him back for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
The Historic Rivalry
21 November 2025 - 7 January 2026
