The Australian skipper has taken 309 Test scalps in 71 Test matches with an stellar bowling average.
Australia's chief selector the selector has declared that captain Pat Cummins will be a central figure in this winter's England-Australia contest.
Rumors had circulated that Cummins might be unavailable due to a ongoing back issue that had not yet healed.
Initial reports from the squad suggested no final decision had been made regarding Cummins' participation, with the five-Test series kicking off on 21 November in the WACA.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about his chances of being involved.
"We're aware that the window is narrowing and there are permutations around that, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," the selector added.
"It's positive. There's strong faith that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally it's the first Test. If not, we'll reassess."
Injury History
He was sidelined Australia's limited-overs series against India and New Zealand last month after medical tests showed a lumbar bone stress.
Previous incidents include of recurring issues, with flare-ups in multiple past seasons forcing him out of multiple domestic campaigns in four years.
He emphasized he would be ""aggressive" and "take risks" in his rehabilitation process to make the squad for the contest.
The selector indicated that there was no confirmation if he had started his bowling workouts as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to recover fully for the opener.
Contingency Plans
If he's unavailable, 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The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from Australia's squad for their one-day international series against the subcontinent side as a precautionary measure because of discomfort in his torso.
Bailey described it as a "slight concern and mentioned that Green will play in the Sheffield Shield, so will be "ideally positioned to be ready to bowl."
"We put so much time has gone into building out the plan for him to take part for the first Test as an all-rounder," the selector detailed.
"He was only going to play the first two ODIs in any case. How he handles the willow in shorter formats, if it causes any delay for 24 more hours, the choice was made to adopt a safer strategy."
Match Calendar
Australia vs England: The Ashes
Spanning from late 2025 to early 2026
